MANZINGA FINISH GIVES BLUES THE EDGE
Christy Manzinga grabbed the only goal of the game as Linfield defeated Ballymena United at Windsor Park.
The 26-year-old struck with a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock after a build up down the left saw the ball fall for him just outside the area to duly lift an effort beyond Sam Johnston with a clinical finish.
The Blues might have doubled their lead midway through the first half but were twice denied by Johnston. The United keeper came off his line to snuff out another Manzinga threat before he was able to deal with a Martin Donnelly free-kick.
Manzinga came close again not long after the break only to fire wide from the edge of the box.
But the second half largely failed to spark into life with chances very much at a premium, although Chris McKee almost marked his Linfield debut with a close range header just past the target from a Kirk Millar cross.
Ballymena almost snatched an equaliser right at the end. Pushing forward, Andy McGrory found Conor Keeley who looked to have found the net from close range only for Niall Quinn to somehow block the ball on the line before Millar was on hand to hook the follow up away.
Linfield: Johns, Roscoe, Callacher, Manzinga, M. Clarke, McClean, Fallon, Mulgrew, Donnelly, Quinn, Salam subs Walsh (not used), Newberry (not used), Millar (replaced Salam 73), McKee (replaced Donnelly 73), Devine (not used), A. Clarke (replaced Manzinga 88), Archer (not used)
Ballymena United: Johnston, Wilson, McElroy, Waide, McCullough, Rodgers, Barr, McGrory, Parkhouse, Keeley, Graham subs McDowell (not used), Kane (replaced Waide 87), Henderson (replaced Barr 87), Bramall (replaced McElroy 87), Loughran (not used), Nelson (replaced Wilson 42), Place (replaced Rodgers 75)
Substitution 
Substitution 
