Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins insists “if I was a Linfield supporter, I'd be fuming” after David Healy ruled his side out of the Premiership title race – declaring his rival boss’ opinion as “a load of nonsense”.

The Bannsiders sit top of the table heading into Friday’s clash against Glentoran, level on points with Larne while Healy’s reigning champions are seven adrift in third.

Linfield still hold three matches in hand on the Bannsiders, but after their weekend win over Crusaders, Blues chief Healy said he felt “potentially only two” teams can lift the Gibson Cup this term – Coleraine and Larne.

Coleraine are aiming to collect their first Premiership title since 1974 and were fancied as strong pre-season contenders following an impressive summer transfer window which included the arrivals of Joel Cooper and Will Patching.

placeholder image — Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins. (Photo by David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press)

"If they win their games in hand they go above us but they're out of the title race and they have an injury crisis - no other club has injuries other than Linfield,” said Higgins. “I'll tell you something, if I was a Linfield supporter I'd be fuming.

"I know it's mind games and all that, but I wouldn't be the happiest if the manager of the most successful club by a distance is ruling themselves out of a title race. We all know it's a load of nonsense."

Coleraine’s owner Henry Ross has provided significant investment to The Showgrounds club, completing a number of high-profile transfer deals.

Ross has made his ambitions clear, stating he wants to turn Coleraine into the Irish League’s “leading club”, but Higgins feels Linfield remain strong favourites this season.

The former Derry City chief also alluded to Linfield’s transfer activity last January when they brought both Callumn Morrison and Kieran Offord to Windsor Park for “the guts of £250-300k”.

"Linfield are the favourites, they know how to get it done,” added Higgins. “Every year all the pressure is on them to win it and it's no different because we have invested a few pound.

"I've said it a hundred times, they spent the guts of £250-300k in the January transfer window - on two players may I add - but they love talking about other clubs' financial power.

"They can talk all they want, they've always had it and it's a bit different for them now that other clubs can compete with them."