BLUES ARE CHRISTMAS TABLE TOPPERS
Two goals midway through the second half ensured Linfield defeated Coleraine at Windsor Park to stay top of the table.
Scoreless at the break, Linfield enjoyed the two better chances of the half when Rhys Annett volleyed over the bar from a good position while Aodhan Doherty produced a smart stop from keeper Gareth Deane late in proceedings.
Coleraine almost snatched the lead in the opening moments of the second half when Dean Jarvis embarked on a run down the left before sending a ball into the area for Andy Scott only for his finish to come crashing back off the crossbar.
But it fell to Linfield to break the deadlock with two goals in quick succession after the hour.
Euan East opened the scoring on 65 minutes after getting his head to a Matthew Clarke delivery from out on the wing before, five minutes after that, Annett doubled up with a simple close range finish after Clarke had again sent the ball over.
Coleraine did pull one back with four minutes remaining through Andrew Mitchell who bundled the ball over the line from a Jamie Glackin free-kick but it wasn't enough to spark a late Bannsiders revival.
Linfield: Johns, Finlayson, East, Millar, McClean, Hall, Clarke, Fitzpatrick, Annett, Archer, Doherty subs Walsh, Newberry, McBrien, McCullough, McKay, Graham, O'Neill
Coleraine: Deane, Kane, D. Jarvis, A. Jarvis, McKendry, Farren, Glackin, Cole, O'Mahony, Scott, O'Hara subs Gallagher, Mitchell, Wallace, McCrudden, McLaughlin, Devine, Gaston
Substitution 
Substitution 
