Linfield can't afford any more slip-ups in title run-in, warns defender Kyle McClean

The Blues bounced back from a horrible midweek defeat by Big Two rivals Glentoran by pocketing three points against gutsy Carrick Rangers at Windsor Park.

However, the victory came at a cost because the Blues lose both Robbie McDaid – after only 30 seconds – and new signing Ryan McKay with what appeared to be serious injuries. It forced manager David Healy in to a first-half reshuffle.

But it certainly wasn’t pretty stuff – it was edgy, tense and untidy, until big Eetu Vertainen shot the Blues into a 55th minutes lead. The relief in the international arena was tangible.

McClean then sealed the deal 13 minutes from the finish, ramming home a 25-yard free kick, the ball arrowing into the top corner beyond the outstretched gloves of Ross Glendinning.

“Coming into the last 10 League games, results are more important than performances,” insisted McClean. “First and foremost, we are delighted with the three points.

“Yes, we have stuff to work on in terms of our overall display, but it was all about getting the win and now we move on to the next game.

“We now face another massive challenge against Coleraine next week, we’ve had two scoreless draws against them this season, so both teams are pretty evenly matched.

“I know they were beaten by Crusaders (on Saturday), so I’m certain they’ll come looking for a response, so we must be ready for it.”

McClean stressed it was always going to be a difficult afternoon, especially after what happened across town four days earlier.

“It’s not nice losing any game, but it was particularly a tough one to take losing on Tuesday, considering the magnitude of that match,” he went on.

“We let ourselves down and we let the club down. It made it a difficult week for us, but we knew we had to react and bounce back against Carrick.

“Thankfully, we managed to get over the line, but now we must look to build on that.”

With Carrick Rangers boss Stuart King sitting out a five-match ban – he still has two to serve – his assistant Scott Irvine took on the media duties.

“Our game plan was going well, it took Linfield a long time to break us down,” he said. “The longer it went on the better it was for us. The crowd was beginning to get on to the players’ backs and some of them (the players) were at each other’s throats.

“During the break, I asked the players to get through the first 15 minutes of the second half, but when Vertainen scored after eight or nine minutes it kind of threw a spanner in the works.

“It was disappointing the manner of the goal as well, but that’s football, the best teams make the lease mistakes.”

LINFIELD: Johns, Roscoe, Shields, Callacher, McDaid (McKee), Hall, Haygarth (Devine 46), Mulgrew, Vertainen (McClean 74), A Clarke (Millar 46), McKay (Cooper 24).

Unused subs: M Clarke, Finlayson.

CARRICK RANGERS: Ross Glendinning, Forsythe (McLaughlin 71), Ervin, Gordon (Surgenor 30), Cushley, Mitchell, McGuckin (Dupree 71), Reece Glendinning, Maciulatis (Gawn 71), Anderson.

Unused subs: Hogg, Kalla, Buchanan-Rolleston.

REFEREE: Andrew Davey.