David Healy hails Kieran Offord’s “wonderful” strike as Linfield edge out Cliftonville

Kieran Offord’s stunning first half goal was enough to separate the sides in a game that lacked quality at Windsor Park on Sunday with the Reds still searching for their first victory after four games

Sports Direct Premiership: Linfield 1-0 Cliftonville

Kieran Offord continued his rich vein of form as his first half strike was enough to see Linfield make it back-to-back league wins at the expense of Cliftonville with a 1-0 win at Windsor Park on Sunday afternoon.

In a game that perhaps lacked true quality, Offord’s fantastic goal proved the difference in the opinion of his boss David Healy.

“I think in the end he proved the difference with the goal,” Healy concluded.

“The level of goal, again he’s got two or three into the bottom end. When I look at the type of goals he scored, it’s certainly the type of goal with pace and power in it.

“I said to the staff when he scored it, he should have hit the penalty like that on Thursday [against Shelbourne], but it was a wonderful goal.

“I thought we were good in the first half. We were probably unfortunate not to go in with more of an advantage. The second half, we became a little bit more workman-like- which we had to be today”.

Coming off the back of their first leg Conference League Play-Off defeat to Shelbourne, Healy made three changes as Scott Whiteside and Charlie Allen came in, alongside summer signing Sean Brown- who was making his league debut.

Jim Magilton also rang the changes in the aftermath of their 1-1 draw with Larne on Tuesday evening. Harry Wilson, Ryan Curran, Shea Gordon, Conor Barr and Eric McWoods all came into the visitors starting XI.

Linfield made a bright start in the summer sunshine and were in the ascendancy with Odhran Casey having to head behind a dangerous Kieran Offord opportunity and then central defensive partner Shaun Leppard diverted a Charlie Allen shot behind for a further corner, which came to nothing.

At the other end Rory Hale’s corner was met by Jack Keaney at the back post and he steered the ball to Shea Gordon whose goal bound shot hit team-mate Conor Barr and drifted behind.

The hosts saw plenty of early possession and it paid off when they broke the deadlock after 27 minutes.

Harry Wilson got in the way of a further Allen sighting and Kieran Offord picked up the scraps and lashed home from 20-yards past fellow Scot PJ Morrison in the Cliftonville goal for his fourth strike of the campaign.

Linfield should have doubled their advantage on the half hour mark, Kyle McClean lifted his free-kick over the wall and Morrison turned his effort onto the post with Jack Keaney scrambling the loose ball behind for a corner.

The Reds were under the cosh and Kyle McClean’s corner was flicked on by Sam Roscoe and fell to Offord at the back post, though he shot into the side netting.

Just before the break McClean charged forward and slipped in Offord who dragged a shot wide of the far post.

Thomas Lavery had an opportunity to level late in the half, but Chris Johns smothered his low cross as Offord’s goal was the difference at the interval.

Cliftonville were almost back on terms early in the second half, Rory Hale dropped in a free kick and Eric McWoods header was deflected behind.

Both managers began to ring the changes in order to try and inject some tempo into proceedings.

Substitute Dane McCullough teed up Kyle McClean, though he couldn’t keep his free kick on target.

Chris Johns held onto a near post Hale flick with a quarter of an hour remaining, however in truth the visitors failed to seriously threaten a leveller as Offord’s goal proved the winner at the conclusion as Linfield maintained their unbeaten start to the league campaign, with Cliftonville still searching for their first victory after four games.