Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Larne 1 Linfield 5


On the way home



Inver Park, 10th November 2007

Team: Mannus, Douglas, McShane, Gault (Mouncey 79), Murphy, Bailie, McAreavey, Dickson, O’Kane (Curran 66), Ferguson, Thompson (Stewart 73)
Subs not used : Lindsay, Ervin

Goals: Thompson 3, Ferguson, Stewart

Attendance: ca 1000 (approx 950 Linfield fans)



A much improved Linfield performance, with Thompo FINALLY approaching close to the heights he reached in the Clean Sweep season with a sparkling, lively, penetrative performance. Linfield were simply too strong for Larne, who, despite their weaknesses, still have 2 skilful players upfront in Verner and Hunter.

No-one really played poorly for the Blues, despite critics sceptical about the defence, was impressed with Maccers, and Tommy Stewart looked lively when he came on, although he did miss two sitters.


Social club

Was my first time in Larne since 1994/5, and they really are in need of a new ground, Inver Park has a certain old school charm, with the slopiest pitch I've ever seen in 'top level' football, and a nice wee social club, but it does have the feel of what it is, a condemned ground.

A nice 2-week break now should allow Jamie to get fit again, Conor to continue his path to fitness, and allow Spike a rest, playing a 38 year-old for 90 minutes just 3 days after he played 120 is folly, and it will count against us come the end of the season.

Other news: Andrew Waterworth is apparently a cert to sign in January, which would be ok if we didn't have 6 strikers already at the club, including Stephen Garrett who is banging them in on loan at Newry City, 6 already. I don't think we'll see him back at Windsor, hardly surprising when even the NI u-21 captain can't get on.

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