Linfield’s Daniel ​Finlayson with focus on forward strides

Having played his part in a midweek 2-1 win over Cliftonville which helped to protect Linfield’s maximum haul of points and consign the rival Reds to a first loss of the campaign, Finlayson went back to the tape to target areas for improvement.

“I could have done better for the goal, I’ve watched back the footage and aim to learn from it all,” said Finlayson. "Next time it could come down to getting my body shape in a better position, expecting the scuffed shot or reacting better to the situation.

"I think it is important to always evaluate your own performance, I’m my own harshest critic at times but I’m a big believer in accountability.

"It has helped me in the past and if you want to get better then you should always be looking at ways to improve.

"Even from an attacking sense, I want to improve my goals return as against Cliftonville I had opportunities in the air from set-pieces.

"I think you should always be looking for that pressure and the chance to continue to test yourself.”

Finlayson’s focus may be on individual progress but, as a team, Linfield have enjoyed a perfect start to the Premiership season.

A return of full points from the first four fixtures has set David Healy’s side sitting pretty at the top of the table ahead of the visit by Carrick Rangers this weekend to Windsor Park.

Carrick face the Blues with Tuesday’s 9-0 defeat to Crusaders for the 10-man Rangers still fresh in the minds of the visitors.

Having started out as a dream day thanks to confirmation American businessman Michael Smith would become Carrick’s majority stakeholder – and with it excitement over the potential for enhanced investment - Tuesday turned into a nightmare night with a 9-0 rout.

"I’m sure they will want to bounce back as quickly as possible and face us with a point to prove,” said Finlayson. “But our focus should not change based on the opposition and we can only concentrate on our own performance levels.

"We are playing with a certain level of confidence, with the summer signings settling really well and bringing added energy to the squad...we worked really hard in the summer and just want to keep on working to get better.”