Linfield are now eight points behind leaders Larne after one of their worst displays of the season at Solitude
Linfield’s unlikely title charge looks to have run aground as clinical Cliftonville put them to the sword in north Belfast.
Blues boss David Healy claimed afterwards that their away form has been ‘nothing short of disgraceful’, while adding that there was a sense of embarrassment over their display.
“Our away form this year has been nothing short of disgraceful,” Healy fumed afterwards. “We’ve put ourselves in a predicament in terms of winning the league.
“But if we’re not going to win the league, we need to finish second. And if we’re not going to finish second, you’re going to have to work hard to finish third.
“The players will be disappointed of course. I think they will be a little bit embarrassed about the level of performance and the way we lost today.
“As I always say, it’s always on to the next game. The players need to stick together, look after each other and hopefully be better.”
Linfield are now eight points behind leaders Larne after one of their worst displays of the season at Solitude.
Brian Healy’s powerful front running was on display early on as he drove at Darragh Leahy before firing a low shot at goal that Linfield keeper Chris Johns got fully behind to save.
Linfield began to take control though, and Adebayo Fapetu put in a pair of brave blocks to repel fierce efforts from Matthew Fitzpatrick and Kyle McClean.
Kirk Millar was next to try his luck for the visitors, curling an effort over from distance after being teed up by the busy McClean.
Millar did better with his next effort after Reds keeper PJ Morrison went walkabout, bending a smart effort in on goal from a narrow angle that Shaun Leppard had to head clear, leaving the sides locked in stalemate at the break.
Joe Toole impressed with his industry for the Reds in the first half, and he made a lung-busting run up the right flank soon after the restart before sending a lovely cross to the far post, where Liam McStravick volleyed over.
McStravick was growing into the game well, and the livewire winger nearly came up with a spectacular goal when he weaved in from the left before letting fly from distance, forcing Johns into a brilliant tip over the bar at full stretch.
From the resultant corner, Cliftonville broke the deadlock in the 64th minute. Micheal Glynn clipped a dangerous in-swinger towards the back post and Leppard outmuscled Isaac Baird to get his head on the ball, diverting it down and past the exposed Johns.
Liinfield had a chance to quickly draw level from a corner of their own when Euan East’s ball in found Ethan McGee lurking with intent, but the full-back looped a poor header over the bar.
Blues boss David Healy threw forward Chris McKee on for McClean to bolster his attack, and the former Rangers man was quickly into the action, drawing a great stop from Morrison after he smashed a left-foot shot at goal.
Luke Conlan then came up with a super block to stop Kirk Millar scoring from close range after the ball broke kindly for the Linfield winger but the pressure was mounting.
Millar was left with his head in his hands in the 90th minute after showing great technique to connect with a left-foot volley from a McGee knockdown only for the ball to whistle just over.
It was left to Joe Gormley – on as a late sub for Healy – to apply the coup de grace, bundling the ball in after Ryan Curran flashed a shot across goal as Solitude erupted.
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