HOW IT HAPPENED: Linfield 1 Crusaders 1

Joel Cooper's curling drive from distance secured Linfield a share of the spoils after Declan Caddell had handed Crusaders first-half control at Windsor Park.
By Patrick Van Dort
Published 21st Dec 2019, 16:56 BST
Declan Caddell celebrates after breaking the deadlock in Crusader's favour against Linfield.Declan Caddell celebrates after breaking the deadlock in Crusader's favour against Linfield.
Declan Caddell celebrates after breaking the deadlock in Crusader's favour against Linfield.

92: SUB (Crusaders) - Cushley on for McGonigle

89: Lowry slips a pass in for McGonigle but his drive from wide on the left is pushed out by Ferguson at the near post

84: GOAL - Linfield 1 (Cooper) Crusaders 1

Equaliser for Linfield out of the blue as Cooper fires goalwards from distance and the dipping, curling drive deceives Doherty

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83: PENALTY SAVED...Doherty down to his right to push away Hery's spot-kick. Penalty awarded to Linfield after Burns handball off Hery's corner-kick

76: SUB (Crusaders) - McGinley on for Heatley

74: YELLOW CARD (Linfield) - Cooper

71: SUB (Linfield) - Hery on for Stewart

71: YELLOW CARD (Crusaders) - Lowry

66: Heatley blasts over the top with a snapshot unmarked inside the area after O'Rourke's pass drops for the Crues forward

61: Delightful drive by Fallon as he drifts in from the right and steers a shot from outside the box towards the top corner - only for the curling effort to bounce off the underside of the crossbar

55: YELLOW CARD (Crusaders) - Heatley

51: Cooper collects wide on the left and attacks the penalty area before forcing Doherty into a smart near-post save off his crisp drive

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46: SUBS (Linfield) - Haughey and Kearns on for Casement and Waterworth. It's understood this marks Haughey's first Linfield senior appearance since May 2018

H-T: Linfield 0 Crusaders 1

39: YELLOW CARD (Linfield) - Clarke

38: Clarke's corner-kick drops down in the crowded penalty area and Cooper connects but the ball hits off the face of the crossbar

35: Doherty is unable to hold on to Cooper's speculative shot but Crusaders recover to block the follow-up attempt and clear the loose ball

29: YELLOW CARD (Crusaders) - Forsythe

25: Golden opportunity for the Crues on the counter-attack off a Linfield corner-kick as Heatley breaks and sends McGonigle clear down the left, with Clarke free on the far side but the low delivery is cut out by the sharp Ferguson to prevent the tap-in

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21: Ferguson with a double save as McGonigle skips inside from the right and into the danger area - but the Linfield goalkeeper pulls off a smart initial stop then reacts to block the follow-up attempt

19: Lavery and Waterworth link up inside the area but the latter's low cross across the face of goal is cut out by Forsythe

8: GOAL - Linfield 0 Crusaders 1 (Caddell)

Forsythe feeds the dangerous Clarke, who cuts inside to find Lowry and the first-time scooped cross behind the backline is headed home by Caddell

LINFIELD: Ferguson, Robinson, Callacher, Waterworth, Cooper, Stewart, Lavery, Clarke, Fallon, Mulgrew, Casement.

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Subs: Moore, Haughey, Shevlin, Kearns, Hery, McGivern, Mitchell.

CRUSADERS: Doherty, Burns, Hegarty, Lowry, McGonigle, Caddell, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Thompson, Heatley, Clarke.

Subs: O'Neill, Cushley, K.Owens, Ruddy, J.Owens, McGinley, McElroy.

Referee: Raymond Crangle.

Related topics:Joel Cooper