Linfield too strong on night of Windsor Park woe for Crusaders

​The Blues were simply a class apart and really should have improved their goal tally considerably - only for some expert goalkeeping from Jonny Tuffey and some wayward finishing.

Joel Cooper shot the home team into an early lead with a brilliant finish but even he was overshadowed by striker Matthew Fitzpatrick, who bagged his first goal in a blue shirt after joining in the summer from Glenavon.

Crusaders were under the cosh right from the start, with the Blues storming ahead on 10 minutes.

Cooper picked up a pass from Kyle McClean and skipped by the challenge of Billy Joe Burns before leathering a beauty into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

It was all one-way stuff. The home team threatened again on 21 minutes when Cooper threaded a great pass to Fitzpatrick, who failed to get any direction in his parting shot.

But the big striker had better luck three minutes later. Again, that man Cooper was involved, firing in a great cross from the right that was met by the former Glenavon man and his header gave goalkeeper Tuffey absolutely no chance.

Stephen Baxter’s team were finding it difficult to get out of their own half at times and they had just no answer to the energy and industry of the home side.

They were almost punished again with Fitzpatrick and Cooper combining only for the former Oxford United man’s goal-bound shot flicking the legs of Robbie Weir for a corner-kick.

Fitzpatrick almost had the Blues further in front nine minutes before the break. He was allowed time and space to cut in from the left before letting fly with a vicious low drive that had Tuffey at full stretch.

Crusaders were craving for Lee Tavinder’s half-time whistle but the Blues still had time to create one more chance when Matty Clarke crossed for Dan Finlayson, whose header was saved at the base of the post by Tuffey.

It was a similar theme after the restart. The home fans were claiming a spot-kick when Fitzpatrick went down under a challenge from Rory McKeown but the referee was not impressed.

Seconds later a brilliant cross from Finlayson arrowed across the face of the Crues goal, with Fitzpatrick only inches away from turning home.

The frustrated away supporters had to wait until 51 minutes for their first shot at the other end, but Ross Clarke’s effort failed to trouble Chris Johns.

But normal service soon resumed at the other end with Clarke this time drilling in a low cross from the left that Fitzpatrick and Cooper just failed to convert.

Crusaders attempted to come off the ropes and they almost reduced the deficit with 16 minutes remaining when substitute Adam Lecky and Jarlath O’Rourke set up a chance for Ben Kennedy, whose shot hit the base of the post.

But the Crues goal still led a charmed life, with substitute Darragh McBrien bringing the best out of Tuffey before Fitzpatrick directed a Kirk Millar corner wide.

LINFIELD: Johns, Finlayson, East, Shields, McClean, Cooper, Hall, Clarke, McKee (McBrien, 76), Fallon (Millar, 38), Fitzpatrick (Robertson).

Subs (not used): Walsh, Newberry, McKay, Archer.

CRUSADERS: Tuffey, Burns, Weir, Lowry, Kennedy (Smith, 86), O’Rourke, Larmour, Heatley (Teelan, 76), McKeown (Robinson, 76), Clarke, Anderson (Lecky, 46).

Subs (not used): Williamson, Kennedy, James.

Referee: Lee Tavinder.