Linfield boss David Healy praises star for making crucial contribution to help maintain four-point lead at Premiership summit

Having gone 2-0 up thanks to a Tiernan Kelly own goal and sensational Kirk Millar volley in a seven-minute blitz after half-time, Benji Magee pulled one back for the hosts before Andrew Hoey looked to have put his side level with a shot seemingly destined for the top corner.

That was until Blues goalkeeper Chris Johns flew across his line to acrobatically deny the Loughgall attacker and got up quickly to block another attempt seconds later.

Johns has kept more clean sheets (10) than any other top-flight stopper this season and has been a mainstay between the Linfield sticks since arriving at Windsor Park from Coleraine in 2020.

"As it was happening and you're looking across at it, it looked as if it had just enough to go over him, but Chris has that acceleration and spring to do what he did,” reflected Healy. “I've always said that goalkeepers are there to keep the ball out of the net, but there have been numerous times over the last weeks and months that Chris has made crucial stops and decisions at important times and that was important."

January recruit Ethan McGee made his Linfield debut during Saturday’s victory, replacing Josh Archer in the 65th minute with the versatile 21-year-old, who had mainly been deployed at right wing-back for Dungannon, taking up a midfield role.

He came on alongside another ex-Swifts star in Darragh McBrien and Healy says McGee is a player he’s been tracking for many years.

"I thought he was good when he came on,” he said. “The good thing about Ethan is he plays numerous different roles and positions.

"We're not having to wait on him to bed in as he's already played 100+ games for Dungannon. Not only Rodney (McAree) who is there as manager but Dixie Robinson, Joe McAree and everybody else who is involved at Dungannon, it's always been a hotbed in terms of young players getting opportunities.

"We had two coming on together in Darragh and Ethan. I know Darragh came through a different way before he hit the first team, but I've known Ethan since he was 16 playing against our U16's, 18's and 20's, so I've seen him along the way and eventually going into the first team. He was always a player we wanted to push hard to try and get."

McGee remains the only Blues arrival of this transfer window so far, but Healy says the club are continuing to assess potential options.

"We're looking around at the minute,” he said. “I've been on record to say it's a competitive, hard market, certainly in January, and we may have to look at not only this window but the upcoming one in June to see what's available."