Monthly Archives: August 2015

LINFIELD 5-1 DUNGANNON SWIFTS 15.8.2015

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After the strange feeling of winning their first two games of the season (Linfield were unbeaten after two games for only the second time since 2009), Linfield welcomed Dungannon Swifts to Windsor Park hoping to make it three out of three.

The omens were good. Dungannon have never won a a league game at Windsor Park, they hadn’t scored in their last four games against Linfield, and had lost their last eleven successive visits to Windsor Park in the league. It all pointed to a home win.

Football isn’t played on paper, and Dungannon didn’t play like a team looking for their first win of the season at a ground they have a poor record at. They were more then holding their own.

Linfield were slow to get going. They were able to get the ball behind Dungannon’s defence, but neither Bates or Waterworth could get there before Dungannon’s keeper.

It was Dungannon who had the best moment of the early stages, when Matthew Clarke was forced to clear a goalbound shot off his own line.

Linfield’s best moment came when Andrew Waterworth had an attempt on goal, but dragged his shot wide.

Eventually, Linfield scored, and it came from the man of the moment, Aaron Burns, when he fired home from close range after the ball bounced around the penalty area. The third successive game that Linfield have scored from a Kirk Millar corner.

Having played so well so far, it was interesting to see how Dungannon would react to going 1-0 down. Unfortunately for Linfield, they carried on as they were.

They should have scored when Paul McElroy fired over from close range, and almost scored when David Armstrong had a header cleared off the line.

It was clear Linfield needed a second goal to kill this game off. They almost got it close to half-time when Stephen Lowry was able to get himself into a shooting position, but his shot went just wide.

Within the first 60 seconds of the second-half, it was Dungannon who equalised, as a free-kick was headed home by David Armstrong.

It was a deserved equaliser for Dungannon. The only positive for Linfield was, they had 44 minutes to rectify the situation.

There wasn’t an immediate response from Linfield, some possession but no chances.

Within minutes, the game swung decisively in their favour when David Armstrong got a second yellow card for a foul on Andrew Waterworth on the halfway line.

Before Dungannon were able to reshape their delpeted defence, Kirk Millar broke free out wide to tee up Andrew Waterworth to fire home from close range

Millar was now getting a lot of space. So were Linfield.

2-1 up against ten men, there was only going to be one winner. Linfield kept a lot of the ball but couldn’t make it 3-1 to kill the game off. Kirk Millar had the best moment when he missed from six yards out.

As the final ten moments approach, Dungannon made Linfield nervous for a few minutes when they had a short narrowly wide and a succession of corners.

Soon afterwards, the nerves were gone, as Andrew Waterworth fired him when a stray shot came into his direction. There was no way Dungannon were going to come back from this.

Adam Salley was introduced, and was involved in the 4th goal, setting up the pass that eventually found it’s way to Andrew Waterworth for him to head home from close range for his hat-trick.

It was his 3rd hat-trick for Linfield. The other two (against Ballymena and Warrenpoint) I had missed due to being out of the country. So it was good for me to finally witness one in the flesh.

In the final moments, Adam Salley got on the end of a cross to head home from close range. He’s had very little time in his three appearances, especially coming on when the game was won the the attacking wasn’t as intense.

It’s good for him to be getting minutes and goals, so that he can be even more ready if he is to start, or come off the bench when the game is up for grabs.

It was probably a harsh scorline on Dungannon, but it was a game that Linfield deserved to win.

Three wins from three. Despite them being games you would expect to win, it’s still good to get the points on the board.

Three games in, the league table is already taking shape, with Linfield and Cliftonville pulling away, then Glenavon and Portadown just behind. Two good results or two bad results at this time of year can dramatically change everything.

Up next, is a trip to Coleraine. It’s a game I won’t be at, as i’ll be foresaking Northern Ireland’s leaders for Scotland’s leaders.

I’m on my annual trip to Edinburgh for the Festival, but i’ll be taking in some football, including Hearts v Partick.

Hopefully when I arrive at Windsor Park for my next Linfield match, against Portadown in two weeks, i’ll be watching a team with four wins out or four.

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CARRICK RANGERS 0-3 LINFIELD 12.8.2015

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For he first time in 20 years, top flight football returned to Carrickfergus, as Carrick Rangers hosted Linfield at Taylor’s Avenue in their first home match of the season.

It should have been Carrick’s first top flight game at Taylor’s Avenue (Or, if you prefer, Belfast Loughtshore Hotel Arena) since 2012, but Carrick were unable to play their home games there during their last top flight season in 2011-2012, meaning I was making my first visit to the ground four years later than i’d hoped.

When choosing an early season fixture list, an away game against a newly promoted team in the first month isn’t ideal. Linfield found that out last season when they were held to a draw at Institute.

Even in England, Manchester United (v Burnley, 2009) and Manchester City (v Cardiff, 2013) have found a newly promoted away in the second game of the season to be a difficult proposition. This game was going to be a lot tougher for Linfield than some people may think.

It was a rip roaring start to the game with tackles flying in. There were more tackles than chances though, mainly because of the tackles.

Carrick didn’t help themselves, as some careless pass gave Linfield possession in the final third, but Carrick were able to get bodies behind the ball to frustrate Linfield.

There were personal battles all over the pitch, with Guy Bates enjoying taking on each one of Carrick’s defence.

Bates would also be going head to head with Carrick goalkeeper Brian Neeson in the first-half, with Neeson winning both battles, saving a close range shot, and then shot from 12 yards after a pull back.

Carrick had moments going forward, but never looked like scoring. Miguel Chines looked like he was getting in behind Linfield’s defence, but wasn’t able to control the ball and the opportunity was gone.

Anytime Carrick went forward, the attack was stopped by either Mark Haughey or Chris Hegarty. Hegarty struggled for form and fitness last season, but had one of his best performances for the club during the first-half.

As the half ended, it was all Linfield. Linfield got a lot of joy from long throws. It’s not Total Football, but Carrick were struggling to defend them, and Linfield were hoping to ruthlessly take advantage of it. The closest they came was when a flick on hit the woodwork.

Carrick were able to hold out for the first 45 minutes. Most of the crowd in Taylor’s Avenue doubted they would be able to hold out for 90.

The second-half took a while to get going, but once again Linfield took control. Once again, it was Guy Bates being denied by Brian Neeson. It was an instinctive header, but he will still be disappointed with it.

At least he was getting into the box to miss the chances. Far too many times last season, Linfield attacks came to an end simply because of a lack of bodies making a run into the box.

On 66 minutes, Linfield got the breakthrough when a Kirk Millar corner was headed home by Stephen Lowry.

Now in the lead, Linfield were liberated and began to strut their stuff. Within a minute, Guy Bates was able to get in behind Carrick’s defence and play the ball across the six yard box for Aaron Burns to fire home from close range.

The game was won, Carrick didn’t look like getting one that would make the game nervous, never mind the two they needed to get a draw.

Soon after, Kirk Millar rounded off a fine individual performance with a goal to make it 3-0.

Millar has been Linfield’s main attacking performer in the two league games this season. This time last year, I predicted he would be Linfield’s Player Of The Season.

I got that wrong, but hopefully he can kick on from this start better than he did last season.

Let’s hope Warren Feeney finds himself in a situation where he’s having to choose two from Burns, Clarke and Millar, as two of them on form and one on the bench desperate to show what he can do is an exciting prospect.

Once Linfield were 3-0 up, the game naturally fizzled out, though Carrick had a few strikes at goal but never looked like scoring.

Like on Saturday, Linfield took the opportunity to introduced Adam Salley.

With the game won, the attacking wasn’t as intense as it was at 0-0, so he didn’t get the chance to show what he can do. All he had to do was simple stuff, but he did it well.

In the opening two games of the last three season, Linfield only won one of those six games, and had already suffered a defeat within the first two games in each of the last three season, and five of the previous six seasons.

Even though some of David Jeffrey’s title wins came as a result of recovering from a poor start, it’s not ideal to be chasing before August is over, so six points out of six is not to be sniffed at, even if they have come from games Linfield are expected to win.

Biggeer tests will come, so it’s good to get as many points on the board before they come. Hopefully, three more will be added after Saturday’s home match against Dungannon Swifts.

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LINFIELD 4-0 BALLYMENA UNITED 8.8.2015

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The 2015-2016 Irish League season began today. For Linfield, it was a game against Ballymena United. It was a double rarity, a home game (last opening day one was 2010) and a win (last opening day win was 2011)

Linfield had a lot of possession early one, but nothing really noteworthy. As the minutes passed, they became more and more in control of the game.

Ballymena were set up to get bodies behind the ball and break quickly, though they never had an opportunity to advance in Linfield’s defensive third.

The developing partnership between Guy Bates and Andrew Waterworth was clear for all to see, holding up the ball and causing panic for Ballymena’s defence.

If they weren’t getting in behind them or being on the end of a chance, they were setting it up for someone else.

Waterworth got through on goal but couldn’t get into a clear position, and dragged his shot wide.

Given Linfield’s pressure, a goal was inevitible. If it didn’t come in the first-half, it would have come at some point in the second-half. Put simply, there was only going to be one winner.

Linfield took the lead on 35 minutes when Aaron Burns headed home from a corner. The bonus for me is, that Aaron Burns is in my Sunday Life Fantasy League team.

As the half neared it’s end, Burns got his second when Stephen Lowry was played through on the byline. He wasn’t going to score, but he manager to put the ball past Alan Blayney into the six yard box for Aaron Burns to run in and fire home.

Inbetween those two Burns goals, Ross Glendenning was forced to make a save from a Neil Gawley header.

That wasn’t the end of the first-half action, as Jim Ervin attempted a Nayim style lob (albeit, from closer in), but thankfully, Glendenning fared a bit better than David Seaman, and tipped it over the bar.

David Cushley had a shot easily saved by Glendenning in the opening moments of the second-half, but that was all Ballymena offered, as the story of the half was Linfield headers going just wide and Ballymena players getting booked for cynical fouls.

There was one worrying moment for Linfield when Glendenning was forced to save from Cushley outside the box. At the time, I thought it was a possible handball, though watching it back on Final Score suggested that it his head, and the referee made the correct decision by waving play on.

Soon after, there was a red card, as Jim Ervin went for a Professional Foul on Guy Bates. Niall Quinn’s shot from the resulting free-kick forced Alan Blayney into a save.

Soon after, it was 3-0, as Andrew Waterworth fired home from close range after Stephen Lowry nodded to ball to him.

With the game, Warren Feeney took the opportunity to introduce youngsters Adam Sally and TJ Murray.

Sally fluffed a shot with his first touch, but the resulting play saw him pluck up the confidence to shoot from outside the box, which went wide but gave Blayney cause for concern.

Salley only had a lot of build-up play to do, but what he did, he did well..

In Injury Time, Reece Glendenning scored from one yard out after a Stephen Lowry free-kick hit the post.

As the final whistle blew, Linfield found themselves top of the league after 1 match, the position they want to be in after 38 games. As a bonus, already three points ahead of Crusaders and Glentoran.

No time to revel in the glory, as an away game to Carrick Rangers awaits, their first top flight game at Taylor’s Avenue (or, Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena, if you prefer) since 1995.

It will also be my first visit there, so i’m looking forward to that.

Later in the month, i’m going to Edinburgh, primarily for the Comedy Festival, but i’m going to take the opportunity to see some football at Hearts, Rangers and Dunfermline.

It’s great that the football season is finally up and running.

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THE FRIDAY FIVE – 7.8.2015

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1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Lock All The Doors
2. OMD – Enola Gay
3. Delta Goodrem – Wings
4. Dennis Waterman – I Could Be So Good For You
5. Florence and the Machine – Queen Of Peace