LINFIELD manager David Healy last night punched the air with delight after his team’s Toals Country Antrim Shield triumph at the Warden Street Showgrounds.
The Blues picked up their first trophy under the leadership of the former Northern Ireland striker -- and it was also their first piece of silverware since 2014.
Ironically, they also defeated Crusaders in the same tournament in a penalty shoot-out on that occasion.
There was no denying the Blues their moment of glory in front of a big crowd at Ballymena. They hit their opponents with a deadly early double with goals from Cameron Stewart and Mark Stafford.
Crusaders’ task was made all that more difficult when Paul Heatley was dismissed in the first half after appearing to lash out at Stafford.
Jordan Owens breathed new life into their challenge by heading in a spectacular effort, but their hopes of trophy glory evaporated when Stephen Lowry rammed home a penalty kick late in the second half.
The Blues got off to a fantastic start with that Stewart opener on three minutes. The big man got up head and shoulders above everyone else to power home a Niall Quinn corner-kick with the flick of his head.
In fact, the same combination almost did it again seconds later. This time Stewart just failed to get a connection to Quinn’s looping cross.
Crusaders suddenly sparked into life with the diminutive Heatley outstripping Jimmy Callacher, but he could only shoot high into the side netting.
But incredibly, the Blues struck again with only 12 minutes on the clock. Kirk Millar’s corner-kick caused mayhem in the Crues defence and Stafford appeared between Jordan Owens and Alan Keane to bundle the ball over the line.
Baxter’s boys attempted to come off the ropes following the early double-whammy with the usually lethal David Cushley trying his luck with a vicious low 25-yard drive that fizzed past the post, much to Gareth Deane’s relief.
The usually dependable Crues defence was pulled apart again on 28 minutes when Stewart’s delightful flick sent Waterworth scampering clear. And just when he was about the pull the trigger, Howard Beverland came storming in with a blinding tackle to save the situation.
The roof appeared to cave in on the Crues’ trophy challenge on 30 minutes when Heatley was dismissed after an apparent use of an elbow on Stafford.
However, they responded in sensational fashion, with skipper Colin Coates lofting in a high ball from the left which was met by lanky Owens and his towering header dipped into the top corner.
With their tails up, the 10 men threatened again as the interval approached. Billy Joe Burns this time picked out the dangerous Owens, who shot first time into the side-netting, before Cushley produced a scissor-kick that flew straight at Deane.
Crusaders reappeared with renewed purpose in the second half, defying their numerical disadvantage. Cushley really should have done better with a 20-yard drive that screamed over the top.
And Cushley was unlucky again with another audacious shot that looped inches past the post.
But the Blues responded in a positive manner with Mulgrew taking off on a surging 30-yard dash through the middle before dispatching his shot narrowly over the crossbar.
Waterworth then benefited from the persistence of Stewart, whose clever dink forward sent the big striker free, but Crues goalkeeper Sean O’Neill produced a remarkable save, beating away the effort with an outstretched arm.
However, the Blues sealed the win 11 minutes from time when Lowry hammered home a spot-kick after Waterworth had been flattened by a challenge from Howard Beverland following an initial error from O’Neill.
