Linfield striker Eetu Vertainen scores second hat-trick in three games in thrashing of Portadown

The 23-year-old netted three in their previous weekend game against Ballymena United and after blanking in Tuesday night’s defeat to Crusdaers, the Finnish forward struck back in style with another treble.

He scored Linfield’s second in the 22nd minute and added another two after the break to scupper any chances basement boys Portadown had of fighting back.

Vertainen, who is on loan from Scottish Premiership outfit St Johnstone, is enjoying a purple patch that has produced 11 goals in his last nine league games.

However, 10 of those have came against teams currently sitting in the bottom six – the only exception a crucial 90th minute Boxing Day winner against rivals Glentoran at The Oval – and Vertainen now has his target set on performing in more big matches for the Blues as they go in search of a fifth consecutive Danske Bank Premiership crown.

"I'm happy to get goals because they are important for a striker,” he said. "We need to focus on the top six teams and score goals against them because we haven't been on the top of our game during those games.

"We looked at some of the stats so can see we haven't been getting the points we need from those games against the top six teams.

"The next five or six weeks are so important and decisive for us in how we end up this season. We need to keep going."

David Healy’s men have now scored more than any other team in the top-flight this season with 31 of their 53 to date coming away from home.

Kirk Millar, making his first league appearance since November 22 against Larne, and the superb Joel Cooper, played key roles in Vertainen’s second and third with each providing an assist.

It was ruthless efficiency from Linfield’s attacking players with the visitors scoring from all six shots they had on target.

"Tuesday night wasn't good and everybody knew that,” added Vertainen. “It was good to have a response as good as that.

"Kirk came back today as well and he's quality. Everybody is quality up top so it's good and we can all link up well."