Goals for defenders Euan East and Ben Hall ensured Linfield returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Ballymena United at Windsor Park in the Sports Direct Premiership this afternoon.
Coming off the back of consecutive defeats to Portadown and Cliftonville, David Healy rung the changes once more and also changed the shape of his team to the traditional 4-4-2 system. Chris McKee was suspended after his red card against Cliftonville and he’ll also miss matches against Coleraine and Cliftonville in the League. With captain Jamie Mulgrew and vice-captain Chris Shields both remaining out injured, Kirk Millar wore the armband today, on the day of his Testimonial Dinner which takes place at The Clayton Hotel, Belfast this evening.
Ballymena, meanwhile, dropped their captain Stephen O’Donnell to the bench, and they were without key creator Ben Kennedy who had been playing through the pain barrier for several weeks, whilst long-term absentees Donal Rocks, Josh Carson and Andy Scott were all unavailable, as was striker Ryan McNickle who fractured his collarbone in last week’s 2-0 defeat to Glentoran. In more positive news for Jim Ervin’s team, experienced midfielder Patrick McEleney made a return from the nasty injury he picked up against Cliftonville on 13 September, and he played the full ninety this afternoon.
Whilst the visitors have not won at Windsor Park in the League since Dominic Melly’s goal gave them a 1-0 win in 2004, the Sky Blues could draw confidence from the fact they beat the champions 1-0 at Ballymena Showgrounds just 39 days prior. Indeed, they showed no fear at Windsor Park this afternoon but will lament giving away two set-piece goals.
It was an engaging affair with both teams giving their lot. Whilst the Blues had the better of the first half, that’s not to say they weren’t troubled. United constructed some dangerous attacks, getting into good areas and getting a number of crosses in, but the Linfield defenders were alert. Ballymena had one big chance in the first half, coming in the 17th minute when Calvin McCurry found the powerful Success Edogun inside the box and he rolled Sean Brown to get a shot off at close range, but Chris Johns made an important save.
Linfield then took the lead after 25 minutes when Kirk Millar’s corner delivery to the front post found Euan East totally unmarked and he punished the visitors for slack marking as he buried a header for his first goal of the season. Sean O’Neill got his hands to it but was beaten by the power.
The confidence boost Linfield received from the opening goal was clear to see, and they put together a neat move a couple of minutes later as Sam Taylor played a give-and-go, drifting inward off the left flank before finding Kirk Millar out the right. Millar showed good awareness to see and pick out Matthew Fitzpatrick on the edge of the box, but his goalward effort was crucially blocked by Matthew Clarke.
The Blues were hammering at the door in search of a second goal as Kirk Millar’s free-kick from the left was well saved by O’Neill who showed good reactions to fist the ball away after it had taken a nick off one of his own defenders on its way. Then, a minute later, Millar was involved again as he crossed low from the right for Isaac Baird at the front post, but the midfielder couldn’t make clean contact and the ball flashed across goal.
O’Neill came up trumps again on 34 minutes as he produced a fine double save. Firstly, he denied Matthew Fitzpatrick at close range after Euan East’s low cross from the left, and then he reacted well again after the ball took a ricochet off one of his own defenders.
In the late stages of the first half, O’Neill was eventually beaten again, but the woodwork came to his rescue. A Linfield free-kick awarded for a handball by Success Edogun out the right was delivered once again by Kirk Millar and O’Neill came for it but didn’t get it before Kieran Offord rattled the crossbar with a volley.
The Blues played well in the first half and, on the balance of play and clear opportunities created, really ought to have been going into the interval with a bigger lead.
HT: LINFIELD 1-0 BALLYMENA UNITED
Linfield’s second half display did not match the levels of their first half display, and after a slow start they found themselves pegged back to level terms on 62 minutes. The equaliser came following a quick free-kick, giving Patrick McEleney time to clip in a left-footed cross from the right flank, and it was finished with some aplomb by former Linfield defender Matthew Clarke. The left-back – who scored 16 times in 411 appearances for the Blues – excellently guided a header into the far corner, meaning he has now scored two in two against his former club since returning to the Irish League following a season with Livingston.
The Blues responded well, which will surely have pleased manager David Healy at a time when confidence could be fragile given recent results. Linfield retook the lead six minutes later, in the 68th minute, from another set-piece as Kirk Millar’s deep free-kick was headed down by Sam Roscoe for defensive partner Ben Hall who was well placed to volley in from close range. Like East, it was his first goal of the season.
United remained a threat, and at 2-1 they were still very much in the contest. They took a quick free-kick was led to Matthew Clarke having a low shot from a tight angle saved by the leg of Chris Johns.
The Blues almost sealed the win on 84 minutes when the excellent Euan East got down the left once more to great effect before squaring it for Matthew Fitzpatrick who leathered a strike that looked destined for the net, only for United defender Kym Nelson to put his body on the line and make a remarkable block. Callumn Morrison also had a good chance on 90 minutes but he blazed a shot over the bar.
Five additional minutes were played and Ballymena United flooded the box for a long throw-in from Nelson and subsequently a corner, but the Blues defended well to claim a much-needed victory on a drizzly Saturday afternoon in south Belfast.
Ballymena drop to seventh in the table, whilst Linfield are fourth, nine points off leaders Coleraine who have played three matches more. Incidentally, the Blues’ next match is a rearranged League match away to Coleraine on Tuesday evening, so a big performance will be required against a team who have benefited from significant investment in recent months.
FT: LINFIELD 2-1 BALLYMENA UNITED
Linfieldfc.com Man of the Match: Ben Hall
LINFIELD: Chris Johns (GK), Sean Brown, Ben Hall, Sam Roscoe, Euan East, Kirk Millar (Ethan McGee 89’), Kyle McClean, Isaac Baird (Josh Archer 70’), Sam Taylor (Callumn Morrison 70’), Kieran Offord (Matt Yates 70’), Matthew Fitzpatrick
Unused subs: David Walsh (GK), Dane McCullough, Charlie Allen
BALLYMENA UNITED: Sean O’Neill (GK), David Toure, Daithi McCallion, Kym Nelson, Matthew Clarke, James Hood (David Taylor 85’), Patrick McEleney, Daire O’Connor (Alexander Gawne 81’), Kian Corbally, Success Edogun, Calvin McCurry
Unused subs: Declan Breen (GK), Stephen O’Donnell, Alistair Gould, Daniel Lafferty, Joel Thompson
Yellow cards: Ben Hall, Sam Roscoe (Linfield), Kian Corbally (Ballymena United)
Referee: Louise Thompson