Football: GLENN ENJOYS HIS SOLITUDE; CLIFTONVILLE 1 LINFIELD 4.

Byline: BILL CLARK

REDS' goalkeeper Michael Ingham - snatched out of this match by Sunderland - should count his blessings.

An abrupt recall from loan saved Ingham the clinical thrashing meted out to his Solitude mates.

Yet again the incredible firepower of Linfield simply blew apart a decent side.

Glenn Ferguson gave the side the lethal finishing with two superb twenty yard strikes that left Cliftonville's emergency keeper, Eamonn Gallagher flat footed.

Only 11 minutes had gone when the ball was teed up for Ferguson to arrive at pace and make perfect contact.

It was vastly more significant than his second goal, netted a couple of minutes into injury time.

But Fergie's snapshot against a retreating defence was just as spectacular.

"Ferguson is a very special talent," stressed Linfield manager, David Jeffrey. "Goals like these are out of the top drawer.

"But all our goals were quality today and I have just as much praise for my magnificent back five who gave Cliftonville little hope."

The Reds were probably beaten just before halftime when they conceded a second, crucial goal.

It began with Stephen Small rugby tackling DaveLarmour on route to goal and being shown an instant yellow card which might well have been red.

From 25yards, Tony Gorman bent a marvellous free kick round the Cliftonville wall and into Gallagher's left hand top corner.

Cliftonville came out fighting second half and might have squared the match in a couple of minutes but it was Linfield who actually hit the net in 54 minutes.

Gorman won the ball with a crunching tackle on Keith Mulvenna and released Larmour with a killing through ball - keeper Gallagher was neatly side-stepped on the 18yard line and Larmour fired into a vacant goal.

Linfield upset their rhythm with a double substitution on 72 minutes and promptly had their worst moments as Cliftonville went for broke.

Within four minutes of the changes - Stephen Collier and Chris Morgan for Larmour and Tommy McDonald a goal had been pulled back. Tommy McCallion chipped perfectly from the left and Gavin Treanor thumped in a close range header.

And Cliftonville might have made Linfield sweat even more if Michael Collins had been awarded a deserved penalty when tripped by Gorman. Instead, the unfortunate Collins was yellow carded for diving by referee, Alan Snoddy .

It definitely wasn't Collins' day. With time running out he saw a fine shot beat Robinson and smack the crossbar.

Inevitably, Linfield showed the deadlier streak with Ferguson's final blow a sickener for Cliftonville.

CAPTION(S):

NET GAIN: Glenn Ferguson (right) is surrounded by delighted teammates after his early strike for Linfield

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Title Annotation:	Sport
Publication:	Sunday Mirror (London, England)
Date:	Jan 7, 2001
Words:	434
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