For those in attendance at Windsor Park this mid-week to watch the meet of Linfield and Glenavon, they observed an enthralling affair under the floodlights in south Belfast. It was an end-to-end spectacle with chances aplenty in both penalty boxes, the Blues ultimately shading an open five-goal thriller after coming from behind to beat their Lurgan visitors 3-2 and prop themselves back into the table’s top half.
The record champions have won five of the last six Gibson Cups under David Healy’s tutelage, including each of the last four, but have made a stuttering start to their title-defence this term. Supporters have felt like they have been through the wringer and then some – an unprecedented successive streak of away days, an unbelievable last-ditch dashing of their European group stage dream, a significant stretching of their squad depth – and both a realisation of the challenge it takes to win this league and the achievement of the feat of retaining it so regularly has became crystallised to them and the other sharks circling.
The season is not much more than two months old yet it feels like Linfield have quite literally been everywhere and back.
Prior to the remarkable events of the 25th August, I penned an article on how the 56-time Irish League kings may have to avoid being left blue on Sundays to mount another successful retention of their Premiership crown.
Blues fans – and for that matter anyone inside Windsor Park that summer night – need no reminders of what transpired.
A multitude of chances spurned meant extra time was needed after a goalless regulation 90 minutes, with one finally converted by Kyle McClean to put the hosts 2-1 up on aggregate. Yet, Jimmy Callacher’s last-minute diversion of a left-sided cross agonisingly into his own net via the underside of the bar meant spot-kicks would prove the decider.
Latvian outfit RFS went in with the momentum and prevailed in turn. Six titanic, historic Europa Conference League group stage nights snatched away from the Blues. A night that had supporters daring to dream turned out a nightmare.
Some believe they are yet to truly recover from such drama at their expense. However, to suggest this in isolation is to discount other factors. A non-stop pre-season of continental action, with trips to Wales, Norway, Switzerland and Latvia on their agenda, has since been followed by TEN road matches in a row – including a Scottish visit – that finally ended last Friday evening as they hosted Glentoran. The less said from their persuasion about a 0-3 home defeat in that match-up, the better.
A well-resourced club with a high-ranking academy they may be, but to try to place focus on so many separate cup competitions and manage their squad simultaneously is so cruelly tall an order that the Blues can be forgiven for feeling a bit weary.
On Tuesday night, they welcomed Glenavon to Windsor – who have had their own frustrations this campaign.
Gary Hamilton, 11 years in the Lurgan Blues post, has guided the Armagh outfit to a handful of immeasurable highs.
From two Irish Cup titles to four Premiership podium finishes, blended with European glories such as defeating an Erling Haaland-led Molde at Mourneview Park in 2018, his legacy is set in stone.
Those happy emotions have seemed a world away given their start to this term.
Hamilton has been vocal in his annoyance at the Mourneview Aces’ inconsistent form and poor discipline that has them still on single digits points-wise after 10 matches this term.
They finished both their first two games of the season – a 2-2 draw at Ballymena United and a 1-2 home loss to Larne – with nine men.
Match three saw them claim a stunning 1-3 win at Coleraine, who had started imperiously, which they immediately followed up with a thumping 1-5 defeat at Mourneview Park to newly-promoted Newry City. A 2-2 draw against Carrick Rangers followed, which they ended with 10 men after a fifth red card in five outings. Waringstown-born Hamilton was pretty entitled to ask questions.
A couple of cup eliminations to high-flying Championship side Loughgall has been dotted in amongst a total inability to string a run of good results together.
But it hasn’t all been doom and gloom. Hamilton’s calls to integrate youngsters like Isaac Baird, Conor Scannell, Josh Doyle and Aaron Prendergast into the first-team fold have paid dividends, with all four positively impacting the side.
Peter Campbell is still his usual lively self down the sides, and has the trickery and invention to make things happen and provide a spark. While it can seem like there is an over-reliance on him to deliver this direct-dribbling inspiration, that is no detraction from instinctive goalscorers like Matthew Fitzpatrick and Eoin Bradley who have it in them to convert from close range. The former scored a brace this mid-week to put himself up to five league goals for the season, which only four players can better.
Lightning struck twice for them at Linfield in the sense that at Seaview three days earlier, they led 0-1 and 1-2 at Crusaders before Adam Lecky’s brace off the bench secured the north Belfast side the spoils with a 3-2 win.
Before that, five unanswered second half strikes meant they swept Dungannon Swifts aside to secure what was their second league win of the season. Baird and Prendergast got a goal apiece against the second-from-bottom outfit in a 5-0 demolition job over Dean Shiels’ men.
Recent displays have inspired cause for optimism that results will improve with two home ties against Carrick and Ballymena to come, where they’ll fancy taking the positivity of the past three matches and turning that into six more points.
The salient point of this is the factor separating the units below from the top two teams, Glentoran and Larne. Consistency.
There are several who would say that, on paper, Linfield have the best squad and should not have difficulty getting their hands on the Gibson Cup season in, season out. Those same folk suggested that a potential £3m windfall, had they reached the European group stage, would have only widened the gap further.
The reality is that the division has never been more competitive, and the talent never this spread out. Hence, those who string runs together are the ones most amply rewarded in the end.
The Glens and Invermen between them are unbeaten, converting 35 goals combined while letting in just three. Since the east Belfast side drew 0-0 with their red-shirted east Antrim rivals at Inver Park on opening night, they have claimed a maximum 21 points out of 21 since. The league-leaders – who incidentally play Linfield in a match re-scheduled due to the Blues’ European exploits – have picked up 22 of 24.
While both have benefited from significant financial investment in recent times, they were punished for their lapses last term. Now, it seems Mick McDermott and Tiernan Lynch have used their time to reflect to make sure these are kept to a minimum as they pursue the top spot.
If Linfield and Glenavon, and for that matter anyone else in the division, aim to achieve their objectives – be it the title, securing mid-table safety or staving off the drop – consistency alongside talent is arguably the principal variable now.
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