STORY OF THE MATCH: Newry City 0 Linfield 3

The Blues made one change from the team that beat Loughgall 5-1 last time out with captain Jamie Mulgrew coming in for Kyle McClean while Newry City boss Gary Boyle called upon Adam Carroll with John McGovern missing due to a slight hamstring injury.

Starting teams:

NEWRY CITY: Maguire, King, Healy, McGivern, Carroll, Hughes, Salley, Bagnall, Martin, Forde, Poynton.

Subs: Murphy, O'Connor, Lockhart, Healy, Newell, Mooney, P McGovern.

LINFIELD: Johns, East, Newberry, Shields, Millar, Cooper, Hall, Clarke, McKee, Mulgrew, Fitzpatrick.

Subs: Walsh, McClean, McBrien, Haygarth, McCullough, Annett, Archer.

Referee: Keith Kennedy.

FIRST HALF

13: First bright moment for Newry City on the counter attack as Adam Carroll finds space and drives forward. Linfield able to get bodies back and ball is put out for a corner which comes to nothing.

19: Euan East, who has made a brilliant start to life at Linfield, brings the ball out from defence and as players continue to back off, he unleashes a vicious shot that sails past Steven Maguire’s post.

31: Newry are forced into a change with Andrew Martin unable to continue. Thomas Lockhart comes on to replace him.

44: Massive chance for Linfield to take the lead as Chris McKee finds space in the box and directs a powerful header towards goal, but the striker is denied by an acrobatic Maguire save with the ball tipped over for a corner.

45: Newry almost creators of their own downfall as they are outnumbered following the corner as Linfield spring a counter attack. McKee weaves in and out before the ball is cleared after an excellent tackle. Kirk Millar has an effort easily saved by Maguire moments later.

45+4: Lorcan Forde almost finds a way in behind but Chris Johns’ starting position allows him to clear the danger in the nick of time.

HALF TIME: Newry City 0 – 0 Linfield.

SECOND HALF

48: Newry have started brightly after the break and come within inches of taking the lead through Darren King’s header, which may have grazed the woodwork.

52: GOAL: Newry City 0 - 1 LINFIELD (FITZPATRICK) – Linfield open the scoring as Fitzpatrick nets his second league goal of the season. Great delivery in to the box, Fitzpatrick rises highest and his header hits the post, but he reacts fastest to tap in from close range.

57: GOAL: Newry City 0 - 2 LINFIELD (COOPER) – Linfield double their advantage as Cooper strikes into the bottom corner past Maguire. Fitzpatrick turns provider this time after robbing King and lays it off to Cooper, who does the rest.

63: GOAL: Newry City 0 - 3 LINFIELD (MILLAR) – It's all falling apart for Newry at the start of the second half. Kirk Millar's cross from the right squirms under goalkeeper Maguire to give Linfield a three-goal advantage.

83: Adam Salley finds space in the box after some good work but Euan East gets back to make a great block.

86: Chris McKee almost makes it four but his shot from the edge of the box bounces back off the post.

FULL TIME: Newry City 0 – 3 Linfield