McCLEAN DOUBLE SETS BLUES UP
Kyle McClean twice found the net as Linfield held on to get the better of Crusaders at Seaview.
The 26-year-old edged the Blues in front five minutes from the break after getting on the end of a Josh Archer flick to get in behind the defence and fire past Jonny Tuffey low and hard into the bottom corner.
Jordan Stewart levelled for the Crues just before the hour when, following a scramble in the box, the ball fell for him for Kieran Offord's shot to smash home from an acute angle.
But Linfield restored their advantage five minutes after that. Jordan Forsythe rose to nod a free-kick clear but could only direct across the face of goal for Matthew Fitzpatrick to bravely head the ball over the line, picking up an injury in the process.
Kirk Millar might have added a third in the closing minutes only to be thwarted by Lewis Barr's goalline clearance, but McClean did bag Linfield's third moment later with a neat finish from the edge of the box.
However Jimmy Callacher was accredited Jimmy Callacher with pulling one back deep into stoppage time amid some confusion and a scramble in the box to set up a nervy finish for the visitors … which almost saw the Crues dramatically equalise only for Chris Johns to keep out a Barr header.
Crusaders: Tuffey, Callacher, Weir, Stewart, Blaney, Forsythe, O’Rourke, Offord, Clarke, Franklin, Barr subs Kerr, Lowry, Teelan, Williamson, Owens, Smith, Vance
Linfield: Johns, East, Whiteside, Shields, Millar, McClean, Cooper, Archer, McGee, Fitzpatrick, Orr subs Walsh, Ballantyne, McGarry, Leacock, Burns, Watson, Farr
Substitution 
Substitution 
