In the first of two successive Sunday specials against Championship opposition for Linfield, round one passed with little hitch.
Although the BetMcLean Cup showpiece against Portadown is on the seventh day by design, with crowds of over 11,000 flocking to Windsor Park each of the previous two editions, their visit to Institute was more through logistics – not that it hampered them in the end as they ran out 3-1 winners in the north west.
Given that Derry GAA’s blockbuster National Football League Division One duel with Dublin just a few hundred metres down the Lone Moor Road was to bring one of the biggest attendances of the year in any sport on these shores, the decision was made to play that game on the Saturday before leaving the Sunday free for the Irish Cup quarter-final match-up.
Goals from Ethan McGee, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Kirk Millar had the outcome wrapped up by the hour mark at the Brandywell, with Shane McGinty’s finish four minutes from time just consolation for Kevin Deery’s ‘Stute, who turn their attentions back to achieving promotion from the second-tier for the rest of the season.
What could’ve been a trialling encounter for David Healy’s Blues, who netted three times against Institute for the fourth time in a row dating back to August of 2019 when the duo were locked in Premiership battles, proved not such as they bid to advance in the cups in addition to building a head of steam for the league.
It can all work hand in hand. If they live up to their favourites’ tag and take down the Ports at Windsor Park, in turn completing a successful defence of the BetMcLean Cup having brought down Coleraine in 2023, they’ll have one trophy in the bag and their sights on a couple more during the next two months.
Larne lead Linfield by a sole point in the race for the Gibson Cup, with the defending champions having played a game fewer, while eternal foes Glentoran now await in the semi-finals of the Irish Cup.
It was three years ago that the juggernauts from south Belfast spoiled the day for the Inver Reds at Mourneview Park and left them still chasing an elusive first Irish Cup, with Shayne Lavery and Joel Cooper on target in their 2-1 victory in the 2021 decider, and while the east Antrim outfit got their own back with their first-ever top-flight crown a couple of years on, a crunch time is coming that will decide whether the Blues enact their revenge.
For a club like the 56-time record champions, adding to 44 Irish Cups – albeit just two in the last 12 years – silverware across as many fronts as possible is demanded by the supporters.
Linfield haven’t found the going easy, certainly not having recently emerged from a three-game winless run and most definitely not in the past week, when the blue-shirted institution were hit with a three-game ban on home fans – one a partial closure and subsequently two full suspensions – following repeated instances of supporter misconduct and announced they would stamp out the ‘Blue Unity’ ultras group both home and away.
All the same, Healy made sure they did their talking on the pitch and put recent turbulence to the side. Linfield came out fighting and bared their teeth; honest match-goers who want to back the team couldn’t have asked for much more.
They’ve won three on the spin and still have business to complete. Keeping their feet on the ground and getting their priorities straight on what matters – including cup progression – will make sure their flame keeps burning bright.
Featured image from Linfield FC Media.
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