Photographs on this page are copyright Alan Weir and Stephen Greenaway
You can see more action from the match on Stephen's blog

BLUES SEAL IT?

"It's over" was Linfield Manager David Jeffrey's reaction as he spoke to the BBC's Jackie Fullerton after his side's solid if unspectacular performance earned the three points that essentially sealed a third successive League Championship.

With Gavin McDonnell and Paul Carville failing late fitness tests, Glenavon manager Terry Cochrane drafted in teenage defender Mark Haughey and Paul Walsh got his first start for some time as a natural replacement for Carville in the left wing berth.

As early as the second minute Trevor Molloy’s fierce shot was en route to the net when Noel Baillie made a vital block to concede a corner. Gerard McMahon took the corner and, with a strong wind blowing into his face, Linfield keeper Allan Mannus could only palm the ball towards his own goal and it looked like the ball had crossed the line before it was hacked clear by Steven Douglas. In the follow up Glenavon was awarded a free kick which resulted in another Molloy effort that flashed across the goal and narrowly wide of the far post.

Glenn Ferguson missed a golden opportunity to put the visitors ahead in the 11th minute when he put a simple back post header wide after a deep Paul McAreavey free kick picked him out.

More controversy surrounded Linfield’s opening goal which came in the 15th minute as the ball appeared to run out over the goal line before Mulgrew crossed to the far post where Kearney headed powerfully past Murphy.

As half time approached Mannus spilled McMahon’s low free kick from the left side of the box and the Linfield keeper was grateful to Gault who hacked it clear for a corner.

Mark Turkington wins an aerial challenge with Peter Thompson Photo Copyright Stephen Greenaway

Linfield doubled the lead nine minutes into the second half and probably secured their third successive title when top scorer Peter Thompson nodded in from close range after McAreavey headed Gault’s mis-placed shot back into the danger area following a corner by Mulgrew that Kearney flicked on.

Glenavon's Paul Walsh takes on Linfield's Steven Douglas Photo Copyright Stephen Greenaway

Thompson twice went close to doubling his tally when he put a side-foot shot wide in the 74th minute and hit the base of a post ten minutes from time with a shot from just inside the box.

The other results today ensured that Glenavon will finish no lower than 13th and a win or a draw next week against Armagh City will be enough to guarantee that the Lurgan Blues finish as one of the top 12 teams in the Carnegie Premier League.

"I thought we gave them a game today. We've come a long way in the last six or seven weeks. We hadn't got a good team and now we're battling, we're showing the Glenavon spirit. Six weeks ago I think Linfield would have murdered us but I'm still a bit deflated because our lads didn't produce a performance today like we did in the last couple of weeks.

"You can see the spirit in the team. We're going to introduce new players to that squad, we push on from now to see if we can get a better team for next year."