EETU AT THE DOUBLE FOR LINFIELD
Two goals from Eetu Vertainen helped Linfield secure a 3-1 victory over Newry City at The Showgrounds.
The former Finland U21 international opened the scoring for the visitors after 16 minutes when he got on the end of a Joel Cooper cross to beat keeper Steven Maguire from close range.
He struck again just before the half-hour mark when, following a break from a Daniel Hughes effort at the other end, he fired into the bottom corner with low drive from around 20 yards from goal.
However Newry responded positively and duly pulled a goal back ten minutes from the interval courtesy of a bullet header from Lorcan Forde after a corner had been sent over from the right.
The home side might have levelled after that when a Hughes' effort almost ricocheted into the net while, after the break, Hughes and James Teelan provided a constant threat as Darren Mullen's looked to find a way back into the game.
But Linfield made sure of the points with 12 minutes remaining through substitute Andrew Clarke who met a Joel Cooper ball to the near post to control it and turn it past Maguire.
Newry City: Maguire, King, N. Healy, McGivern, Hughes, Lockhart, Teelan, McGovern, Moan, Forde, Montgomery subs Brady (not used), Carville (replaced Forde 68), Martin (not used), B. Healy (replaced McGovern 78), Donnelly (replaced Lockhart 68), Scullion (replaced Montgomery 87), Clarke (replaced Hughes 78)
Linfield: Johns, Newberry, Millar, Cooper, M. Clarke, McKee, Devine, Mulgrew, Vertainen, Pepper, Palmer subs Walsh (not used), Roscoe (not used), Shields (replaced McKee 68), McClean (replaced Mulgrew 82), McDaid (replaced Palmer 68), Finlayson (replaced Devine 77), A. Clarke (replaced Vertainen 68)
Substitution 
Substitution 
