BLUES EDGE PAST CARRICK
Linfield defeated Carrick Rangers by the odd goal in three to maintain their healthy lead at the top of the Sports Direct Premiership.
Scoreless at the break neither side looked likely to find a way through with poor finishing being very much the order of the day.
The deadlock was almost broken early in the second when Ben Tilney's angled drive was turned behind by Chris Johns while, at the other end, Chris Shields tested Ross Glendinning from the edge of the area.
But, just after the hour, Linfield started the ball rolling in somewhat fortunate circumstances when home defender Kurtis Forsythe turned the ball into his own net whilst attempting to deal with a Kirk Millar cross from the right.
Then, ten minutes after that, Kyle McClean doubled Linfield's lead after some poor defending allowed him the space to turn and send a low shot past Glendinning.
Carrick hit back with eight minutes remaining through Emmett McGuckin who connected with another Tilney delivery to send a firm header past Johns.
And Stuart King's side might have levelled late on when Kyle Cherry's saw a fierce shot turned behind while Tilney fired over from the subsequent corner.
Carrick Rangers: Ross Glendinning, Forsythe, Surgenor, Cushley, Allen, Maciulaitis, MacKinnon, Crowe, Reece Glendinning, Purkis, Tilney subs McCauley, Watson, McGuckin, Buchanan-Rolleston, Andrews, Cherry, Withers
Linfield: Johns, Finlayson, East, Shields, Millar, McClean, Cooper, McBrien, Hall, Clarke, Fitzpatrick subs Walsh, Newberry, Scott, Haygarth, Mulgrew, Robertson, Annett
Substitution 
Substitution 
