Season: 2024/2025
Date: 24th March 2025
Competition: Sports Direct Premiership
Venue: Stangmore Park
Despite having the Sports Direct Premiership title wrapped up with six matches remaining, Linfield maintained their high standards with a 3-0 win over Dungannon Swifts in front of the Sky Sports cameras last night.
The Blues won the league last Tuesday evening courtesy of a 2-2 draw between Larne and Glentoran, and given this was the first time David Healy’s men had played since becoming champions, a warm welcome awaited the Linfield team at a packed out Stangmore Park.
The 57-times champions of Northern Ireland named a strong team. Matthew Orr and Kalum Thompson missed out through international duty, however the Blues opted not to make use of their right to have the match postponed. Alongside Orr, Josh Archer and Cameron Ballantyne also dropped out of the eleven from the team that defeated Glenavon 2-0 at Windsor Park in the Blues’ last outing ten days ago. Euan East, Ethan McGee and Alex Gorrin all came into the starting eleven, however Spanish midfielder Gorrin’s first start for Linfield ended after 42 minutes as he went off injured and was replaced by Josh Archer. Former Oxford United man Gorrin left the ground with a protective boot on and will be assessed.
As for Dungannon Swifts – flying high in fourth position – they have an Irish Cup semi-final to look forward to this weekend as they face Bangor at Seaview, and their impressive manager Rodney McAree stated that this match being moved to a Monday night was a factor in his decision to make seven changes to his team, with a couple of key players – such as James Knowles and John McGovern – dropped to the bench.
In a fast start, the Swifts were close to taking in the lead in the sixth minute as Tomas Galvin went through on goal, but Linfield ‘keeper David Walsh did brilliantly to tip the ball onto the post. It went for a corner which was well defender.
The Blues then took the lead two minutes later, in the eighth minute. It was a well-worked goal as Matthew Fitzpatrick’s accurate through ball found the pacey Joel Cooper who went past the onrushing goalkeeper and, with the angle against him, Cooper squared the ball across the box for Scotch attacker Callumn Morrison to open his Linfield account at close range.
The champions took control after the opening goal and were unlucky not to double their lead in the 28th minute. Callumn Morrison and Matthew Fitzpatrick combined on the edge of the box before the striker unselfishly teed up Joel Cooper on the right of the box, from where his curling effort had the ‘keeper beaten but unfortunately came back off the inside of the post.
As the half wore on, the Blues were looking increasingly dangerous in wide areas, with several tantalising crosses put into the box from each side. It then took a magnificent diving save from young Dungannon ‘keeper Alex Henderson to keep the score at 0-1 as he dived at full stretch to his left to tip the ball wide of his goal after Fitzpatrick headed Euan East’s pinpoint cross goalwards. It was a good effort and an even better save.
Dungannon didn’t create a great deal in the first half following Galvin’s early chance, but Walsh made another good save towards the end of the half as he dived to his left to push away an effort from winger Thomas Maguire.
The Blues then deservedly doubled their lead a minute before the break. The second goal came from the penalty spot after Matthew Fitzpatrick was felled inside the box from a clumsy challenge by Dylan King from behind. Joel Cooper stepped up to find the corner and net his 21st goal of the season.
HT: Dungannon Swifts 0-2 Linfield
Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree tweaked things at half-time with a double substitution as James Knowles and Leon Boyd were introduced in place of Caolan Marron and Steven Scott, and they looked much better for it. Indeed, the Swifts were very unlucky not to have pulled a goal back in the 51st minute as Tomas Galvin’s dipping volley from 20 yards struck the underside of the crossbar. During this strong Swifts spell in the first 15 minutes of the second half, the aerial prowess of Ben Hall really came to the fore as Linfield had to defend their box well.
David Healy freshened up his team with an injection of further pace and energy on 63 minutes as Kirk Millar, Joel Cooper and Matthew Fitzpatrick were replaced by Kieran Offord, Charlie Allen and Chris McKee. Five minutes after being introduced, Offord teed up fellow Scotsman, Callumn Morrison who went close to scoring his second of the night, prodding the ball beyond the onrushing ‘keeper, only to see it flash just wide of the far post.
Offord himself then went close with a sharp turn and shot after being found by Charlie Allen on the edge of the Dungannon box, but his effort whistled a yard wide of the far corner.
The Swifts rallied in the final ten minutes and asked some questions of Linfield, and it could have been an interesting finale had Josh Archer not made a superb goal-saving block in the 84th minute. Chris Shields was dispossessed on the edge of his box by Andrew Mitchell, and Maguire nipped in to prod the ball beyond Walsh, but Archer did brilliantly on the line to deny Bigirimana with a timely challenge at close range.
Up the other end, the impressive Morrison went close again as he fired the ball past the goalkeeper, only for Adam Glenny to clear it off the line. However, there was to be a third goal in it for Linfield as the Blues sealed the win with a well-worked goal on 89 minutes. Allen found Offord down the right and he squared it for Chris McKee to convert at close range for his ninth goal of the season.
After the match, there was a short celebration to mark winning the title as the Blues – in their purple and orange away strip – uncorked champagne whilst celebrating behind a champions banner. An enjoyable night and happy trip back up the M1 for the Linfield faithful who can look forward to the official title party and presentation of the Gibson Cup after Linfield take on Glentoran at Windsor Park on Saturday 5 April (1pm kick-off).
FT: Dungannon Swifts 0-3 Linfield
LINFIELD: David Walsh (GK), Ethan McGee, Ben Hall, Chris Shields, Euan East, Alex Gorrin (Josh Archer 42’), Jamie Mulgrew © (Cameron Ballantyne 69’). Kirk Millar (Charlie Allen 63’), Joel Cooper (Kieran Offord 63’), Callumn Morrison, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Chris McKee 63’)
Unused: Chris Johns (GK), Scot Whiteside
DUNGANNON SWIFTS: Alex Henderson (GK), Steven Scott (James Knowles 45’), Caolan Marron (Leon Boyd 45’), Dylan King, Danny Wallace ©, Adam Glenny, Grant Hutchinson(Cahal McGinty 86’) , Kealan Dillon (Andrew Mitchell 72’), Thomas Maguire, Brandon Bermingham, Tomas Galvin (Gael Bigirimana 72’)
Unused: Dylan Glass (GK), John McGovern
Yellow cards: Steven Scott (Dungannon Swifts), James Knowles (Dungannon Swifts), Danny Wallace (Dungannon Swifts), Ben Hall (Linfield), Chris Shields (Linfield), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Linfield)
Referee: Shane McGonigle
INTERVIEWS
