McKEE HITS WINNER AS BLUES MARCH ON
Linfield are now 19 points clear at the top of the Sports Direct Premiership following victory over Crusaders at Windsor Park.
The Blues got off to the perfect start when, on seven minutes, Joel Cooper fired them in front with a superbly struck left-foot finish in off an upright and into the net after a misplaced pass found its way to him.
But the Crues levelled just three minutes after that through Ross Clarke with his near post effort past David Walsh after receiving the ball from Harry Franklin down the right.
Linfield looked to regain their advantage late in the first half when Cooper smashed another effort against the crossbar.
However just moments after that David Healy's side did go back in front courtesy of Chris McKee's right-foot effort, again in off the post, after Cooper turned provider to tee him up.
There was almost a third for the league leaders early in the second half when Cooper found Matthew Fitzpatrick who, in turn, laid the ball off for Kyle McClean but his shot came off the left post.
Then, not long after that, Linfield struck the woodwork once more when Cooper tried to direct the ball past Jonny Tuffey at the near post.
Linfield did enough to see the game out and pick up another three points, although their evening was soured in the closing moments when Fitzpatrick was dismissed after collecting his second caution of the evening for a challenge on Daniel Larmour.
Linfield: Walsh, Roscoe, East, Shields, McClean, Cooper, Ballantyne, McKee, McGee, Fitzpatrick, Orr subs Johns, Allen, Hall, Archer, McCullough, Annett, McKay
Crusaders: Tuffey, Lowry, Jewitt-White, Blaney, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Larmour, Smith, Clarke, Nixon, Franklin subs Brown, Callacher, Williamson, Owens, O'Connor, Barr, Downey
Substitution 
Substitution 
