LINFIELD GIVE BANNSIDERS THE FIRST HALF BLUES
Linfield swept to a three-goal victory over Coleraine at The Showgrounds, with all the scoring coming in the first half.
Joel Cooper opened the scoring for the visitors on 20 minutes after Matthew Fitzpatrick had knocked the ball back into his path.
Then, five minutes after that, the Blues doubled their advantage. Kirk Millar sent a curling ball towards the near post but Bannsiders keeper Rory Brown was unable to deal with the cross and fumbled it over his own line.
Matthew Shevlin might have pulled one back for Coleraine from a Dean Jarvis free-kick only to head against the base of the post, with the ball being eventually cleared.
Linfield added their third four minutes from the break when, following more good work from Fitzpatrick, Kyle McClean fired home from close range.
Although effectively over as a contest, Linfield looked to add to their advantage in the second half, coming closest with around 20 minutes remaining when Cooper connected with an Euan East left-sided cross only to see his header superbly kept out by Brown.
Coleraine: Brown, Jarvis, Boyle, Stewart, Campbell, Scott, Shevlin, Murray, McClelland, Harkin, Glackin subs Little, Carse, McLaughlin, McGonigle, Gaston, Devine, Smith
Linfield: Johns, East, Whiteside, Shields, Millar, McClean, Cooper, Allen, Mulgrew, McGee, Fitzpatrick subs Walsh, Ballantyne, Archer, Annett, McKay, Orr, Thompson
Substitution 
Substitution 
