Last week, Storm Babet brought torrents of rain and fierce gusts of wind as it roared into the British Isles. Depending on where you were, flooded streets and felled trees cut the landscape in the calm that followed.
But a calm of a different kind could be found amid the ecstasy of a bouncing away end at Solitude last Friday evening.
In a top-of-the-table capital derby between Cliftonville and Linfield, the elements were felt as the earlier sunsets of autumn sent darkness and cold chills through the air in north Belfast.
The Blues fans’ spirits were certainly brightened, though, when clinical Chris McKee sparked scenes of celebration in the Bowling Green end.
The striker latched onto a miscued header by home defender Luke Turner and faced up to David Odumosu, delicately lifting over the Reds shot-stopper and into the net before taking the acclaim of a travelling faithful that knew just how important that moment in the night was.
One misjudgment that was so unerringly punished. One situation created from a simple long ball by Chris Johns.
One point turned into three at the flick of a finger.
How effective it was. It proved enough for a precious victory come the sounding of referee Shane Andrews’ final whistle, even if Jim Magilton’s Cliftonville showed the menace and mettle of a serious contender.
Champions tend to do that. They tend to get the job done regardless of whether they are at their imperious best or not.
Although Linfield had to settle for second-best last term, that wasn’t to be confused with acceptance as they stood in a guard of honour to applaud first-time Irish League kings Larne on the night they held the Gibson Cup aloft at Inver Park.
Manager David Healy has served the record title winners from south Belfast for eight years now. He knows the demands of being in the Windsor Park hotseat, that the supporters live for following a football team that wins.
The Blues have 11 of those already, and 34 points out of 39, as the first third of the 2023/24 Sports Direct Premiership is wrapped up.
By Healy’s own admission, their results against the rest of the top six weren’t up to scratch last campaign, and for rarely faltering against bottom-half outfits, the half a dozen points that separated Linfield from the Invermen in the end were largely lost in duels against those around them.
Lightning hasn’t struck twice, though. They’ve beaten every single opponent in the division bar Larne before the end of October.
That includes 15 points out of 18 against their top-half foes.
Carrickfergus talent McKee, who linked up on an initial loan deal from Rangers before agreeing to permanent terms, notched his sixth of the season on Friday night. Joel Cooper, who returned for good a little under 18 months ago, struck the iron while it was hot during the early knockings and set Linfield on their way, while Chris Shields and Kyle McClean have kept it sturdy in midfield and new boys Matthew Fitzpatrick, Darragh McBrien and Euan East have added impetus in both the respective frontline and rearguard throughout the opening months.
But the pick of the bunch against Cliftonville? 37-year-old Jamie Mulgrew.
The Irish League is an evolving beast, but be in no doubt that the midfielder’s permanent class more than withstands it.
It is premature yet to make bold statements, but with seven points separating them from the rest of the pack already, Linfield’s desire to boost their title record to 57 is unrelenting.
With 13 matches gone, they are well on their way to making that intention a reality.
Featured image from INPHO, via Belfast Media.
- It’s unfair to put blame at feet of Linfield and Cliftonville for Irish Cup Final crowd disorder
A penny for the thoughts of Linfield and Cliftonville this week. This year’s Irish Cup Final was a spectacular in every sense. Nearly 15,000 packed inside Windsor Park for the biggest-attended domestic fixture in Northern Ireland this century and an occasion to savour that, for the most part, featured backing from both sides that supported… Read more: It’s unfair to put blame at feet of Linfield and Cliftonville for Irish Cup Final crowd disorder - Irish League chiefs must improve provisions in place to attract younger fans and families
Let’s get a basic fact of life out of the way first – no one likes a price hike. No one likes a price hike in the same way that no one likes paying taxes, bills, debts, insurance and other such necessary expenses which, in themselves, are rising amid a general rise in the cost… Read more: Irish League chiefs must improve provisions in place to attract younger fans and families - How the Irish FA’s new ‘Conference Layer’ for intermediate football can be big hit or own goal
Changes to the intermediate football sphere in Northern Ireland have long been touted and, going by the Irish FA’s latest update on the topic, closer than ever to coming to fruition. From the 2026-27 campaign, a new ‘Conference Layer’ will be in effect as part of a radical shake-up of the intermediate levels of the… Read more: How the Irish FA’s new ‘Conference Layer’ for intermediate football can be big hit or own goal - Steven McCullough’s crucial goal in relegation play-off seals him as a Ballymena United great
There’s been a change in priorities for Ballymena United during recent years – albeit not necessarily the type supporters would’ve perhaps wanted. In 2019, the Braidmen were the second best team in the Irish League. Runners-up behind Linfield that year, and just seven points adrift of top spot, the peak years of David Jeffrey’s tenure… Read more: Steven McCullough’s crucial goal in relegation play-off seals him as a Ballymena United great - Ending Cliftonville’s Irish Cup drought proves Jim can fix it… now he must target league glory
Finally, it’s Cliftonville’s year in the Irish Cup. An agonising waiting game ends at last and a drought that lasted 45 painful years is over in one burst of champagne rain. Since 1979, the Reds have contrived to fail in various ways in their pursuit of that elusive ninth Irish Cup – until a man… Read more: Ending Cliftonville’s Irish Cup drought proves Jim can fix it… now he must target league glory
Football Chatters 
Leave a comment