OFFORD WINS IT FOR THE BLUES
Linfield edged to a narrow victory over Larne to stretch their lead at the top of the table to 20 points.
A somewhat cagey opening from both camps meant it took over ten minutes for the first real effort of the game when Chris McKee found Matthew Fitzpatrick down the left, with the striker then bringing the ball onto his right-foot to let fly with a 25-yard drive that sailed over the top.
A few minutes after that Kyle McClean offered up a curling free-kick which forced Rohan Ferguson to make a diving save to his right while, at the other end, Jordan McEneff volleyed just wide after Linfield had failed to clear the ball.
Larne finished the half with ten men when, in stoppage time, Andy Ryan was shown a straight red card for a challenge on McClean.
Linfield made their extra man count just before the hour when Kieran Offord did well to dispossess Ryan Nolan and send a calm finish through Ferguson's legs to open the scoring.
The Blues might have doubled their advantage six minutes from the end when Callumn Morrison sent the ball across the face of goal only for Offord to just fail to get the decisive touch.
Ferguson was then called into action to keep out an Ethan McGee effort from an acute angle while, in the 90th minute, Morrison turned to fire just over from the right edge of the area.
Linfield: Walsh, Roscoe, East, Shields, McClean, Hall, McKee, Offord, Fitzpatrick, Morrison, Orr subs Johns, Allen, Ballantyne, Archer, Mulgrew, McGee, Annett
Larne: Ferguson, Want, Donnelly, O'Connor, Graham, McEneff, Nolan, Cosgrove, Sloan, Gallagher, Ryan subs Graham, McKendry, O'Neill, Panayiotou, Bayode, Wallace, Simpson
Substitution 
Substitution 
