Ethan McGee grabs Linfield glory plus landmark moment for Glentoran captain
Ethan McGee grabbed a crucial winner to help Linfield bag three crucial Premiership points against crosstown rivals Cliftonville by 1-0 at Windsor Park.
The Blues may have lost their opening game in the Boyle Sports Premiership campaign against Ballymena United but have now taken six points from two games – at the expense of Glentoran and now the Reds.
Urged on by the home supporters, Linfield went for the jugular from the start and were almost in front after only eight minutes.
Dane McCullough showed great trickery on the left before drilling in a low cross that fell invitingly for Kirk Millar, whose volley stung the hands of goalkeeper Peter Morrison who managed to paw the ball to safety.
Morrison, however, almost blotted his copybook on 17 minutes when he made a total hash of an attempted clearance. Kieran Offord was first to react but he had strayed offside when he latched on to a pass from Millar.
That was basically the first-half action wrapped up in a nutshell.
The game became bogged down in a rugged midfield battle with neither side having the quality up front to unlock the respective defences.
In fact, the Reds had to wait until five minutes before half-time for an effort at goal but Dean McMaster’s shot from distance trickled wide.
Whatever Linfield manager David Healy said to his team during the half-time cuppa appeared to work.
They came roaring from the traps with a purpose. Adam Frizzell found Millar with a clever pass, with the long-serving winger’s shot fizzing just wide.
Frizzell then let fly from distance that had Morrison at full stretch.
But the Blues finally broke the deadlock on 55 minutes.
Frizzell sent in a corner-kick from the right that was met by McGee and his header arrowed past Morrison and into the net.
Healy’s team went close again. Frizzell’s free-kick on the right again caused chaos in the visiting defence and Alex Bannon was only inches away from heading into his own net.
LINFIELD: Johns, Shields (Baird, 89), Millar (Wells, 76), McClean, Offord (Moore, 64), Frizzell, Hall, McGee, Fitzpatrick, Leahy, McCullough.
Subs (not used): Glavin, Brown, Annett, Chapman.
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Wightman, Samuels (Conlan, 57), Wilson (Thompson, 57), Hale, Healy (Gormley, 76), McClelland, McMaster, Quinn (Sheridan, 68), Bannon, McStravick.
Subs (not used): Belshaw, O’Connor, Hawthorne.
REFEREE: Christopher Morrison.
Glentoran captain Marcus Kane marked his 500th appearance across the Irish League with a goal in victory by 2-0 over Ballymena United.
It marked the second of two Glens goals at The Showgrounds inside the final 10 minutes after Aaron McEneff’s penalty success.
Kane then doubled the advantage off his injury-time near-post header.