Linfield 'deserved winners' says David Healy after Blues stage comeback against Larne at Inver Park
Linfield manager David Healy felt his side were “deserved winners” after they came from behind to defeat Larne 2-1 at Inver Park to move within two points of Irish Premiership leaders Coleraine.
Larne took the lead in the first half through Leroy Millar and narrowly missed out on doubling their advantage when Dylan Sloan struck the post for the champions.
However, Linfield roared back in the second half and pocketed all three points after Rhys Brennan levelled before a late winner from Ethan McGee condemned Gary Haveron’s men to a home defeat.
The second-half performance pleased Healy, who felt Linfield’s prolonged pressure paid off.
“I thought we were deserved winners tonight, especially based on our second-half performance,” said the Blues boss.
"We got caught with a poor goal and then for five or six minutes, Dylan Sloan hits the post and we were in a period where we needed to settle down.
"The players still believed at half-time, we believed in our shape. I thought we limited Larne to longer balls tonight and we had large spells of sustained pressure in the second half."
Larne remain fourth on the table after back-to-back defeats.
It was another costly result for Larne after a 3-2 defeat on Friday against Coleraine, but boss Haveron said he wasn’t about to press the panic button nine games into the season.
"I don't know what happened us, we just didn't come out in the second half at all,” he said.
“Linfield came out with more purpose and intensity and they wanted it more which isn't what we expect from a team at Larne Football Club.
"We were very good in the first half and should have been two or three up but it's a bit of a worrying trend having done exactly the same thing on Friday night.
"We've put ourselves in the box seat again but we haven't got over the line and that is something I'm going to have to look at and address but we're nine games in and we're not panicking."