Friday night saw two big hitters in action at Inver Park, with Larne and Cliftonville facing off in a game that, although just a third of the way through the season, felt like a defining duel at the top of the table.
Starting the day split by as fine a margin as their respective shades of red – they were dead level on 29 points apiece – Jim Magilton and his squad travelled to east Antrim hopeful of dealing a first home defeat of the campaign upon the first-time Irish League holders.
But Tiernan Lynch’s Invermen would have the final say. Finishes from Paul O’Neill and Joe Thomson before half-time had Larne in a comfortable position at half-time and, although Ronan Hale’s first strike of the season against his former club threatened a thrilling late fightback, the hosts weathered the storm.
The 2-1 victory meant the defending champions had secured second-place all for themselves during the last matchday.
And it tees up a tantalising second-versus-first tussle at Windsor Park this weekend that may prove even more instrumental.
Significantly for Larne, they will enter that encounter on the back of a third straight victory – and, with only Dungannon Swifts (six) at the division’s basement having shared the spoils more times than them (five) to date, Lynch will be satisfied that his troops are moving away from the ‘draw specialist’ tag and back into winning ways.
They were good value for this three-point haul, too.
O’Neill’s superbly angled header nine minutes deep into proceedings set the hosts on their way – what a week for him, having scored against his former employers on the week he inked a new deal until 2026 – before Thomson also found the Church End net and doubled the lead eight minutes before half-time.
It was also at that part of the ground that Hale, who had a tap-in after Inver shot-stopper Rohan Ferguson’s misjudgment from opposite number David Odumosu’s arrowed kick, provided hope for the Red Army, but it was too little, too late.
While Cliftonville stayed third due to north Belfast rivals Crusaders’ home defeat to Coleraine the next day, it will concern Magilton that, of the six fixtures he’s seen his team drop points in, all bar one have been against top-six rivals.
And they have merely one point from 12 against Linfield and Larne. In the context of a title hunt, that tends to do serious damage.
Thankfully for Ireland’s oldest football club, only a 1-1 draw at home to Loughgall blemishes their otherwise perfect record against the bottom half.
That makes for good reading as they welcome Newry City to Solitude next up, where their title aspirations could hinge on winning that and hoping events elsewhere in the city suit their needs.
Larne, the only team to beat Linfield this term – they’ve done so twice, in fact, in the league and County Antrim Shield – will bid to make it a three-peat on Saturday evening. They’d best beware, mind you; for what they stand to gain, defeat in south Belfast this time around would send them 11 points behind the 56-time champions.
A perfect nine from nine since losing at Inver Park in mid-September, the Gibson Cup’s fate this campaign could already hinge on whether David Healy’s group can be toppled by a familiar foe again.
Featured image from NIFL Social 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