BLUES TOO STRONG FOR UNITED AT WINDSOR
Linfield needed a couple of second half goals to defeat struggling Ballymena United at Windsor Park.
The visitors might have moved in front with around 20 minutes on the clock when the ball fell to Noah Stewart but he could only look on in frustration as his low shot came back off the inside of the post before being cleared.
And Linfield hit the woodwork themselves a few minutes later after Rhys Annett teed Josh Archer up to send a powerful shot against an upright.
Both sides came close again later in the first half with Steven McCullough forcing Chris Johns into turning a shot around the post while, at the other end, Matthew Fitzpatrick sent an overhead kick over the bar.
However the deadlock was broken in Linfield's favour ten minutes into the second half after Ethan McGee's curling delivery from the right was met by Kyle McClean to send a looping header over Sean O'Neill.
And the Blues made sure of the points with 12 minutes remaining when Fitzpatrick ran onto a Daniel Finlayson ball over the top of the defence to confidently finish beyond the United keeper.
Linfield: Johns, Finlayson, East, McClean, Hall, Clarke, Mulgrew, McGee, Fitzpatrick, Annett, Archer subs Walsh, Newberry, Millar, Cooper, McBrien, McKee, McCullough
Ballymena United: O’Neill, Nelson, Rocks, McCullough, Taylor, Boyle, Brown, Robinson, Stewart, McCurry, McCallion subs Johnston, McGrory, Tennant, Place, Mallon, Barr, Hood
Substitution 
Substitution 
