Irish Premiership: Blues start title defence with victory over Ports
Last updated on .From the section Irish
Linfield began the defence of their Premiership title with an impressive 4-0 win over Portadown at Windsor Park on Sunday afternoon.
Blues skipper Kirk Millar gave the champions an early lead with a low defected strike into the bottom corner.
Ethan Devine hooked home to make it 2-0 on 57 minutes before Eetu Vertainen headed in the third.
Andrew Clarke's close-range finish sealed a comfortable victory with five minutes left.
Robbie McDaid made his Premiership debut for Linfield while Ports boss Paul Doolin named five debutants in his line-up.
Millar got David Healy's men off to the best possible start by netting a seventh-minute opener, showing great awareness to nip in at the back post after Portadown failed to clear the Vertainen's cross.
The Blues had chances to double their lead before half-time with Devine's effort blocked off the line by team-mate Robbie McDaid while the returning Joel Cooper was as surprised as everyone else at Windsor when he somehow headed over from six yards out.
Portadown had a chance of their own to equalise when Mark Russell was left unmarked in the box with only Chris Johns to beat, but the ex-Coleraine stopper was alert to the debutant's near-post strike to ensure his side went in ahead at the break.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first with Linfield creating chances and Portadown trying to keep the hosts at bay.
Devine produced an acrobatic finish to double the lead after good work down the right wing by Millar.
Vertainen scored the goal of the game after 72 minutes - Millar's cross was headed into the path of the Finnish striker by Devine to give him the simple task of adding a third.
The points were secured when substitute Clarke tapped home from three yards out after Linfield played a short corner that the Ports defence were not alert to.
