Linfield progressed to the semi-finals of the Bet McLean Cup with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Newry City at the Newry Showgrounds this evening. The Blues will take on Ballymena United at Windsor Park on Tuesday 27 January to determine who’ll play Glentoran or Coleraine in the final in March.
Newry had already knocked out two Premiership clubs in the previous rounds of the competition, so they were high on belief going into tonight’s match, but the hero against Portadown – striker Lee Newell – was serving a one-match suspension after being sent off in their dramatic 4-3 win over Dollingstown last weekend.
David Healy named a strong starting eleven, albeit one that featured six changes from Saturday’s 3-1 League win over Carrick Rangers at Windsor Park. Amongst the changes were returns for Scot Whiteside who returned following the birth of his child last weekend, and Kyle McClean who was available again after illness.
Newry manager Stuart King was a welcome guest at Windsor Park last Saturday for the meeting between Linfield, who he previously played for, and Carrick Rangers who he previously managed. The former midfielder was plotting an upset against the Blues and his team threatened inside four minutes at Newry Showgrounds. A deep free-kick from Newry ‘keeper Craughwell was headed dangerously back across goal by Matthew Rendina, but Ethan McGee was alert to make a crucial intervention, otherwise Newry defender Evan McEnteggart would have got in on the end of it at close range.
It seemed to take the Blues a while to adapt to the playing surface. Newry were resolute and hard-working. Any Linfield opportunities would have to be earned through good football, and the first time that happened was after 15 minutes when Matt Yates played a one-two with Sam Taylor before flashing a 20-yard shot wide of the post.
The Blues could and should have taken the lead in the 27 minutes when an inch-perfect through ball from Callumn Morrison put Charlie Allen through on goal, but after rounding the goalkeeper he snatched at the shot when put under pressure from backtracking defenders and his shot went the wrong side of the post.
The woodwork denied the Blues on 32 minutes when Matt Yates’ header hit the crossbar following Sean Brown’s glorious cross from the right. However, the deadlock was broken just one minute later. Scottish attacker Callumn Morrison started a swift move with a lovely touch before spinning in behind. Morrison was then found by Kirk Millar’s through ball before the Scotsman rifled a crisp strike inside the near post.
It was one moment of real quality in a hard-fought first half.
HT: NEWRY CITY 0-1 LINFIELD
The Blues were fortunate not to be pegged back to level terms on 53 minutes. A Newry break down the left saw a foul committed by Scot Whiteside, but the referee initially played an advantage. However, when the ball was in flight from a cross from the left, the referee blew her whistle to call it back for the free-kick as she expected Ben Hall to clear the cross. Instead, the defender slipped and a Newry attacker followed in to put the ball into the net, but the whistle had already gone for the free-kick.
David Healy introduced Isaac Baird and Matthew Fitzpatrick just before the hour-mark and both players made an impact. Fitzpatrick’s movement brought an improvement to the Blues’ attack. Within minutes of coming on, he raced down the right and flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal, just beyond Callumn Morrison’s reach.
The two subs were involved as Linfield doubled their lead on 65 minutes. Fitzpatrick played the ball into Kyle McClean who then found Isaac Baird in space inside the box, and the young midfielder from Richhill produced a lovely finish into the top corner for his first Linfield goal.
However, Newry City got themselves right back in it two minutes later as former Linfield Academy player Jack Chambers swung in a corner from the right and it was powered home by the head of Evan McEnteggart.
Fast-forward another two minutes and Linfield almost re-established a two-goal lead as Morrison’s persistence earned the Blues a free-kick in a dangerous position on the right and, after Newry struggled to clear, Whiteside nodded the ball on to Fitzpatrick whose header struck the crossbar. Soon after, Isaac Baird almost scored a second and his low left-footed strike went a yard past the post.
On 78 minutes a top save from former Linfield Academy goalkeeper Jason Craughwell kept the Blues out as Fitzpatrick’s cross from the left was met by Scot Whiteside who couldn’t have met it any better with his headed effort, but the ‘keeper somehow got down to prevent the ball hitting the bottom corner.
The Blues did then score their third goal a minute later and it was remarkably similar to their third goal against Carrick Rangers on Saturday as Callumn Morrison stylishly flicked the ball into Sam Taylor to send the winger in the clear. Tranmere Rovers loanee Taylor crossed for Kirk Millar in the middle this time and he drew another good save from the goalkeeper, but Callumn Morrison followed in to dispatch the rebound into the top corner. It was the Scotsman’s eighth goal of the season – five of them coming in the Co. Antrim Shield and three in the League Cup.
You only have to look at Newry City’s dramatic comeback victories over Lisburn Distillery and Dollingstown in recent weeks to see that they’re a resilient bunch, and again against Linfield they kept fighting, pulling another goal back on 87 minutes as Keith Dalton cut in from the left before his right-footed shot took a hefty deflection which saw the ball loop up into the air and inside the far post.
Six additional minutes were played but the Blues managed to avoid a repeat of the match against H&W Welders match in the last round when they conceded twice late on to draw 3-3 and be forced into extra-time.
Stuart King and his Newry City must be commended, for they didn’t look like a third-tier team tonight. They made the Blues fight to the bitter end with their hard work, resilience, organisation and dangerous set-plays.
The Blues can look forward to the semi-final in January but now the focus returns to League action with an important trip to face Larne at Inver Park this Friday evening.
FT: NEWRY CITY 2-3 LINFIELD
NEWRY CITY: Jason Craughwell (GK), Jordan King (Charlie McGrath 84’), Matthew Rendina, Scott McCullough, Georgie Poynton (Callum Lynch 84’), Jack Chambers, Declan Carville (Alex Heaney 84’), Shane Forbes, Evan McEnteggart, Cormac McNally (Kane Rossiter 75’), Keith Dalton
Unused subs: Reece McKeown (GK), Rory O’Connor, Jack Kelly
LINFIELD: David Walsh (GK), Ethan McGee (Sam Roscoe 90’), Ben Hall, Scot Whiteside, Sean Brown, Sam Taylor, Kyle McClean, Charlie Allen (Isaac Baird 59’), Callumn Morrison, Kirk Millar (Jon Graham 81’), Matt Yates (Matthew Fitzpatrick 59’)
Unused subs: Chris Johns (GK), Oliver Wade, Jacob Farr
Referee: Louise Thompson