Soccer

Linfield should hit top spot with win over Warrenpoint

PACEMAKER BELFAST 24/10/2015 IN FORM: Stephen Murray hit a hat-trick as Warrenpoint defeated Fivemiletown in the Mid Ulster Cup on Tuesday Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press
PACEMAKER BELFAST 24/10/2015 IN FORM: Stephen Murray hit a hat-trick as Warrenpoint defeated Fivemiletown in the Mid Ulster Cup on Tuesday Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER BELFAST 24/10/2015 IN FORM: Stephen Murray hit a hat-trick as Warrenpoint defeated Fivemiletown in the Mid Ulster Cup on Tuesday Photo Mark Marlow/Pacemaker Press

Danske Bank Premiership

Warrenpoint Town v Linfield (tonight, Milltown, 7.45pm)

WARRENPOINT will be the latest side to try and break down Linfield’s almost impenetrable defence when David Healy’s team visit Milltown tonight.

The Blues’ 4-0 win over Ballinamallard at the weekend now means that they have kept six clean sheets in their seven league games to date, the 2-1 loss to Crusaders the exception.

Despite only collecting one win in their own seven-game start, Warrenpoint have at least been scoring and have found the net in five of those games. It’s at the other end where the problems mainly lie.

It will be a huge ask for Matthew Tipton’s side to add to their scoring tally tonight though never mind actually going on to take anything from this game.

They have now lost four league games in a row following Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Dungannon Swifts.

Tipton would have furious with the marking for the opener as Ryan Mayse headed across for Ryan Harpur to tap home with neither having a Warrenpoint defender near them. The second wasn’t much better as the ball bobbled up in the six-yard box and Chris Hegarty reacted quicker than the opposition players to poke home.

Linfield, meanwhile, had little trouble against Ballinamallard as Jordan Stewart grabbed a hat-trick and Mark Haughey struck a fourth at Windsor Park.

The pair now both have three league goals to their name while nine different players in all have found the net in their blistering start to the season.

A win here by two goals or more will take the champions back to the top of the table above Coleraine, who travel to Glentoran on Saturday.

It’s hard to see Warrenpoint preventing them from doing that. Only Ballinamallard have conceded more this season and they are making basic errors week in, week out.

Linfield are the best team for punishing mistakes and Healy’s men should go into the weekend in pole position in the table.