Season: 2024/2025
Date: 1st April 2025
Competition: Sports Direct Premiership
Venue: Windsor Park
A much-changed Linfield team stood up to the mark tonight, putting in a strong performance in a 3-1 win over Crusaders at Windsor Park as the champions continue their strong finish to the season.
Blues’ boss David Healy changed the entire starting eleven from the team which won 3-0 away to Dungannon Swifts in front of the Sky Sports cameras eight days ago. A number of regulars like Matthew Orr, Euan East, Jamie Mulgrew and Joel Cooper were given a night off, while Kyle McClean and Darragh McBrien remain sidelined through injury. Several players were making their first appearances for several months.
One such player was Robbie McDaid who returned from a muscle injury a few weeks ago but had been awaiting his chance in the team, and the man from Omagh made his mark tonight and it only took him 95 seconds to do so.
The Blues had initially gone close to scoring inside the first minute as Chris McKee pulled the ball back to Kieran Offord on the edge of the box, with the Scotsman firing just wide of the post against his former side. Then, from the goal kick, goalkeeper Jonathan Tuffey attempted to spray the ball out left, but he didn’t get the required height on it and subsequently it was intercepted by Kieran Offord who squared it for McDaid to score from a couple of yards out, making it two goals in four appearances for the season.
In an open start to the match, Linfield got into some good areas. On one occasion the Blues looked likely to add a second as Charlie Allen threaded a neat pass into Kieran Offord who ventured into the box before pulling the ball across the box, but Crusaders winger Ross Clarke did brilliantly to get a vital challenge in.
Crusaders’ best chance of scoring of in the first half came from corners, with Jarlath O’Rourke providing some dangerous deliveries into the Linfield box. In the 18th minute Daniel Larmour rose well to meet one at close range to the Linfield goal, but he headed just over. It was a good opportunity for the Crusaders defender.
Minutes later, O’Rourke found Larmour at another corner. This time. Larmour headed the ball on at the front post for Jimmy Callacher at the back post area where the former Linfield stalwart drew a close range save from Chris Johns to keep out a diving header.
A moment of class from Callacher then unlocked the Linfield rearguard as his quick thinking and great execution saw him take a deep free-kick quickly, pinging a 60-yard cross-field ball into Crues forward Stewart Nixon who momentarily looked in on goal before Ryan McKay showed blistering pace to get back and make a vital challenge. He had to time it to perfection, and he did. The young left wing-back had an excellent night.
HT: Linfield 1-0 Crusaders
Crusaders went close early in the second half as two former Linfield players combined, with Philip Lowry finding Ross Clarke on the right. Clarke ventured into the box and managed to get a shot off but it flashed across goal.
Ten minutes into the second half, David Healy protected Robbie McDaid and Sam Roscoe by withdrawing them from the action, given they were both playing their first matches for some time. The duo were replaced by Chris Shields and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
It only took four minutes for ‘Fitzy’ to make his mark on the match as he doubled the Blues’ lead. Crusaders thought they had done enough to clear a Linfield corner before Dane McCullough fired a pinpoint pass out to the striker on the left before he broke into the box and cut inside to find the far corner for his 16th goal of the season.
Four minutes later Crusaders almost pulled a goal back – unsurprisingly from another corner delivered by O’Rourke and met by Callacher – but Chris Johns made the save. Whilst the header was very central, Johns showed good reactions and handling to keep a hold of it.
The Blues then took a 3-0 lead in the 71st minute when a wonderful cross from Ryan McKay on the left found Matthew Fitzpatrick at the back post and he controlled the ball brilliantly before teeing up Kieran Offord to slot in from close range. There was no celebration from the Scotsman out of respect to his former club, for whom he was a popular figure when on loan from St. Mirren in the first half of the season. It was his second goal in Linfield colours.
Crusaders netted a consolation goal on 78 minutes. Central defender Daniel Larmour played a pinpoint diagonal pass to Jay Boyd and the striker brought it down skilfully before arrowing the ball into the bottom left corner. It was a well-taken goal by the striker who’d – similarly to Fitzpatrick – only entered the action four minutes before scoring.
The Blues had further opportunities to add to their lead in the closing stages but picked the wrong option at times and Tuffey made some good saves, including one down to his left in stoppage time to deny Fitzpatrick who struck one sweetly from the edge of the box.
An entertaining affair and a very productive night for the Linfield squad. Attention now turns to Saturday’s early kick-off against derby rivals Glentoran at Windsor Park where the Blues will hope for a positive result to set up the lifting of the Gibson Cup after the match.
FT: Linfield 3-1 Crusaders
LinfieldFC.com Man of the Match: Josh Archer
Linfield: Chris Johns (GK), Scot Whiteside, Sam Roscoe (Chris Shields 55’), Dane McCullough, Ryan McKay (Callumn Morrison 72’), Cammy Ballantyne, Josh Archer, Charlie Allen (Kirk Millar 72’), Chris McKee © (Rhys Annett 66’), Kieran Offord, Robbie McDaid (Matthew Fitzpatrick 55’)
Unused: David Walsh (GK), Ethan McGee
Crusaders: Jonathan Tuffey (GK), Daniel Larmour, Jimmy Callacher, Lewis Barr, Ross Clarke, Jordan Forsythe (Josh Williamson 74’), Philip Lowry (Lloyd Anderson 74’), Jordan Stewart (Harry Jewitt-White 67’), Harry Franklin (Josh O’Connor 67’), Stewart Nixon (Jay Boyd 74’)
Unused: Rian Brown (GK), Robbie Weir
Yellow cards: Jordan Forsythe (Crusaders), Harry Franklin (Crusaders), Daniel Larmour (Crusaders), Lewis Barr (Crusaders)
INTERVIEWS