Linfield manager David Healy: We have huge belief and trust in Matthew Fitzpatrick – that’s why we brought him to the club

The hosts made a rapid start at a sold out Inver Park with Lee Bonis latching onto an Andy Ryan through ball before rounding Chris Johns and sliding into an empty net after only eight minutes.

Fitzpatrick’s sixth Premiership goal of the season – and a second in a matter of days after also netting in the Boxing Day triumph over rivals Glentoran – got Healy’s men back on level terms.

The summer recruit thought he had doubled both his own and Linfield’s tally moments later when he headed home from Kirk Millar’s cross, but the 29-year-old was adjudged to be offside.

Fitzpatrick has played almost every minute that he has been available and Healy will continue to back the centre-forward, who netted 19 times for Glenavon last season to secure his move to Windsor Park.

"I said to him at half-time the other day about trusting himself,” he said. “We have huge belief and trust in him – that’s why we brought him to the club and why he’s basically played near enough every game when he has been fit.

"It was a good header. The second one (which was ruled out for offside) he’s in and around the right area and that’s all we can ask. I thought his work rate and honesty was first class.”

It was a superb cross from Michael Newberry, drafted in for a first league start since these two sides met in November, that set up Fitzpatrick’s equaliser and it brought back memories for manager Healy.

“I think it was 18 months or two years ago that he put the same type of ball in at Solitude and Matty Clarke scored at the back post,” he added. “Technically Michael Newberry is very good and he grew into the game in the position we wanted him to play.

"We altered the shape a bit from Tuesday and that’s great credit to the players. You don’t get much time on the pitch from Tuesday, but they took the information on board and slogged it out with the champions.”

Healy was without the likes of Jamie Mulgrew (suspension), Chris Shields and Joel Cooper (both injury) for the blockbuster clash at Inver and he praised his side for reacting quickly to early adversity.

"I wouldn’t say we gave them too much respect but we certainly stood off them too much,” he added. “After that we got to grips with it, got our goal and I don’t think there was too much in the game.

"It was a million miles an hour at times. I imagine they edged the possession, but I’m not too concerned or fussed about that. Credit to the players coming off the back of the work and emotion that they put into Boxing Day and backing it up down here at a tough place to come.

"We didn’t start the game like we would have liked. When you find yourself on the back foot against a team like Larne it can sometimes go wrong, but the emotion we put into Boxing Day, physically and mentally, would have been draining on the players.

"Apart from (Jamie) Mulgrew and (Joel) Cooper who missed out through suspension and injury we made two changes. We made one sub in the game and we were very young on the bench with everyone under 21.

"I thought Kirk Millar’s work rate, considering he’s out of position and filling in against players like Leroy Millar, Mark Randall, Shea Gordon and others, his honesty was first class.”