COOPER GIVES BLUES THE EDGE IN TOP TWO CLASH
Linfield won the battle of the top two with Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park to move eleven points clear in the Sports Direct Premiership.
After a somewhat cautious opening start to the game the best effort came midway through the first half when a James Knowles free-kick which looked destined to curl into the net sailed just over the top.
Dungannon continued to press after that with Leo Alves producing a low save from David Walsh to keep out his effort from the edge of the box.
Linfield's best effort came towards the break when Kirk Millar delivered a short free-kick for Joel Cooper to test Declan Dunne with Jamie Mulgrew unable to convert the rebound.
The Blues threatened again early in the second half after Matthew Fitzpatrick nodded on another Millar cross but Alves was on hand to clear the header to safety.
But Linfield did eventually find a way through on 53 minutes after Cooper sent a low strike from the edge of the box past Dunne and into the bottom left corner.
Millar looked to doubled the visitors advantage not long after that with a looping free-kick just over before coming close again only to be denied by Dunne.
The Swifts hit back, and were presented with a great chance to level from a Knowles cross into the box which John McGovern could only head straight at David Walsh.
And they came even closer a few minutes later when Knowles sent a free-kick cannoning off the left post with no-one on hand to tuck away the rebound.
Cahal McGinty then tested Walsh with a strong strike but, again, the home side just couldn't find a way through.
Their task was made all the more difficult right at the end of normal time as keeper Dunne was shown a straight red card after rushing out to stop Fitzpatrick who had found himself through on goal.
Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, S. Scott, Knowles, McGovern, Dillon, Alves, Glenny, McGinty, Wallace, Mitchell, Bigirimana subs Solis Grogan, J. Scott, King, Boyd, Galvin, Maguire, McAleese
Linfield: Walsh, Roscoe, East, Shields, Millar, Cooper, Hall, Mulgrew, McGee, Fitzpatrick, Orr subs Johns, McDaid, Ballantyne, McKee, Fallon, Archer, Annett
