A first-half Joel Cooper hat-trick helped Linfield to a 3-1 victory over Portadown at Shamrock Park yesterday afternoon – a result which moved the Blues 15 points clear at the top of the Sports Direct Premiership.
It was the second hat-trick of Cooper’s Linfield career, with his other coming in a 7-0 win over Warrenpoint Town in October 2019. The hat-trick means the attacker has been involved in 31 of the Blues’ 61 goals this season, having scored 17 goals and assisted 14 times this season to date.
Portadown will be disappointed in their defending for two of the goals and, ultimately, when you present Joel Cooper with an opportunity there’s usually only one outcome. The Ballyclare-native put the Blues ahead after just three minutes when David Walsh’s long free-kick was headed down by Matthew Fitzpatrick into the box where Joel Cooper’s burst of acceleration ensured he beat Baris Altintop to the ball to squeeze in a low shot at close range.
The Ports had actually started really brightly in the opening few minutes prior to the opening goal, with one particular dangerous attack inside the first 50 minutes when Josh Ukek led a counter-attack down the right before his low cross was crucially met by David Walsh down low ahead of James Teelan loitering in the middle.
The Blues doubled their lead in the sixth minute amidst a lively start at Shamrock Park. It was a neat and precise piece of play as Kirk Millar headed Chris Shields’ cross ball into Matthew Fitzpatrick on the edge of the box from where he lifted the ball over the top of Baris Altintop to set Joel Cooper through inside the box and he coolly slotted the ball right-footed beyond the onrushing ‘keeper McCarey.
Linfield’s forward line was causing the Ports’ often-stellar backline real problems. Whilst Cooper took the headlines, Fitzpatrick’s link-up play at times was excellent. On one occasion he sent McClean away inside the box, with the midfielder unlucky to see his left-footed drive deflected agonisingly wide of the far post. Cooper also went close again as the Blues searched for a third – he battled Lewis MacKinnon and then beat the defender for pace to go through inside the box, but ‘keeper McCarey saved well from a fairly tight angle.
League leaders Linfield then got their third goal on 26 minutes as Joel Cooper clinched a hat-trick. It was gifted as Portadown ‘keeper McCarey distributed the ball to captain Gary Thompson who had blue shirts breathing down his neck and, not helped by a tricky playing surface, his attempted backpass intended for McCarey didn’t have the required weight on it, and so Cooper nipped in to fire the ball into the roof of the net.
It was a dream opening half-hour for the Blues. Portadown tried to reduce the arrears before the break and did go close to doing so twice in quick succession, both from Ryan Mayse corner deliveries. The first was touched on at the near post before coming off Linfield’s Euan East and flashing just wide of the post. From the resulting corner, Josh Ukek headed just over from a near post position.
The Blues almost added a fourth in the closing minutes of the first half as McClean sent Cooper away down the left and he drilled in a low cross which was just slightly behind the stride of Fitzpatrick in the middle.
HT: Portadown 0-3 Linfield
Inevitably, Portadown – renowned for their fighting spirit and late goals this season – would rally in the second half. The Blues didn’t create much of note in the second half as they struggled to find the levels of the first half, however they did have a good chance to put the match beyond any doubt in the 54th minute. Fitzpatrick was fouled out the right and, after Cooper’s initial free-kick was blocked, his follow-up cross found Euan East unopposed in the middle, but the defender hooked over with his weaker right foot. A few minutes later, a clever corner routine found Cammy Ballantyne unmarked in the box, but his shot from 12 yards was crucially blocked.
With Linfield leading 3-0 in the 58th minute it meant the Blues had reached the milestone of 10 hours without conceding a goal in all competitions. However, that long run came to an end just two minutes later.
The Ports got their goal back on the hour-mark following a corner. It was delivered by Shay McCartan and headed out only as far as Ben Wylie who teed up Baris Altintop whose shot was turned in at close range by Tabu Rabby Minzamba, the young central midfielder who recently arrived from Montpelier FC.
Incidentally, the last time the Blues had conceded a League goal was against Portadown at Windsor Park on November 30.
Minzamba’s goal breathed new life into the match and, in a game where the Blues were comfortable for so long, suddenly they found themselves under intense pressure as Portadown went for it. The Ports will wonder how they didn’t score more goals as they went close on three occasions with around 20 – 25 minutes remaining.
Shay McCartan in particular will wonder how he didn’t score. The attacking midfielder had two massive opportunities that both looked like certain goals. Firstly, a corner landed kindly at his feet and his effort from close range was deflected just wide of the post. Soon after, James Teelan’s pace took him beyond Whiteside to go through on goal, but Walsh saved well before McCartan put the rebound just wide.
David Walsh had a difficult moment trying to take in a cross in a 77th minute, but he did well to make amends by pouncing ahead of Shay McCartan. Walsh took a tough knock in the process but was able to continue.
A minute later, Portadown came forward again as Ben Wylie hooked a ball through to striker Josh Ukek whose pace took him through and he spotted Walsh off his line, but his effort had a little too much on it and went just over the crossbar. After that, Linfield settled and got over the line fairly comfortably in the last ten minutes.
The Blues are now unbeaten in 7 matches and have set themselves up well for an important week where they face Cliftonville next Saturday, Crusaders the following Tuesday and then Glentoran in the Irish Cup on Friday 31 January. The Linfield team deserve immense praise for how they’ve continued to produce results in difficult circumstances over the last three weeks. To go to Portadown and win just 48 hours after laying their close friend and former teammate Michael Newberry to rest can’t have been easy, but is a credit to each and every one of them.
Next Saturday’s meeting with Cliftonville will be another difficult occasion. In terms of team selection, David Healy will want to assess Jamie Mulgrew, Stephen Fallon, Ben Hall, Robbie McDaid and Darragh McBrien who are all currently injured.
FT: Portadown 1-3 Linfield