David Healy pinpoints title experience which 'marked my card' as Linfield boss insists his side won't take eye off the ball despite securing Irish League glory

The Blues got their Gibson Cup party celebrations underway on Monday evening, starting with a guard of honour from hosts Dungannon Swifts before securing a 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Callumn Morrison, Joel Cooper and Chris McKee.

Hundreds of Linfield fans made the trip to Stangmore Park and serenaded their title-winning squad as the players sprayed bottles of champagne in a first match since champion status was confirmed last Tuesday.

While number 57 is already secured and will be hoisted aloft by captain Jamie Mulgrew next month – his 11th league triumph of a trophy-laden near two-decade stay in South Belfast – Healy won’t rest for simply seeing the season out.

It was on trophy day after winning the 2018/19 Premiership when Linfield were beaten 4-0 by Glenavon at Windsor Park and that’s an experience which will spur Healy on to make sure this campaign ends on a high.

"We try not to take our eye off the ball at Linfield,” he said. “I live and die by decisions as manager.

"I made a mistake years ago when we had trophy day at Windsor and we played Glenavon, we were beaten 4-0 and I think 50-60% of the supporters left in frustration, which was disappointing for me considering the league was won well before, but it marked my card in terms of expectations.

"We’re going to really enjoy the next four weeks and the players deserve that.”

Linfield have been clearly the best team in the league this season, topping virtually every metric – goals, points and wins to name a few – on their way to reclaiming the Irish League throne from back-to-back champions Larne.

It marks Healy’s sixth success across nine full seasons in the Blues hotseat and the Northern Ireland legend wants to keep pushing standards in pursuit of more.

"I thought the performance levels were good,” he added. “When you come into a game like this, you’re slightly worried because last week was a stop-start week.

"I know the players enjoyed a little bit of celebration midweek when we won the league so you’re always a bit on edge...what we did do Saturday and Sunday was prep for this game and the mentality that we needed for tonight.

"You don’t just buy winning culture or habits, you have to create that and when you have the level of senior players we do in the dressing room, they drive that and it’s led by me as manager.

"We want to improve standards – if you maintain standards you can sometimes get caught and overtaken, so we want to improve standards.

"We had a huge Linfield support here tonight...it might have been easy for them to sit in the house and watch it, but they turned up in their numbers to give the players the support they deserve with the effort, hard work and success they’ve had this year.”