DAVID Healy watched his Linfield side ease to a comfortable 3-0 win against Coleraine at the Showgrounds - then joked that he hopes Larne boss Tiernan Lynch takes the St Johnstone job!
The Blues are two points clear of shock troops Ballymena United and six points ahead of back-to-back champions Larne, having played two matches more.
Lynch has been strongly linked with St Johnstone - hammered 6-0 by Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic at McDiarmid Park on Saturday night - following the departure of former Scotland boss Craig Levein, and Healy is well aware of the dilemma facing the north Belfast man having turned down the Raith Rovers job earlier this month.
Linfield had the match wrapped up by half-time, Joel Cooper opening the scoring before a Rory Brown own goal and a third from Kyle McClean on 41 minutes.
Healy said: “I hope Tiernan goes to St Johnstone! I have great respect for him. Larne have built a structure in his time there and had success. Tiernan is his own man, a talented young coach and manager. If he goes he will do well at St Johnstone.”
On Saturday’s 3-0 victory, Healy said: “When you come to Showgrounds you know the type of team you are going to face. We put a press on early and got a bit of joy from it.
“It was a good performance and a positive result.
“It will take time for Coleraine to gel as there’s been a lot of changes at the club.
“Players need time to settle in because this league is unique. The Showgrounds is a great surface but there are different surfaces throughout the league.
“Coleraine will become a team to be reckoned with.”
As for Linfield’s pole position, Healy added: “It doesn’t mean that much to be top at this stage. Ballymena and Dungannon are flying. It’s congested at the top.
“I’ve been here nine years and teams tend to raise their game when they face Linfield. We saw it with Carrick last week (when Linfield scored an injury time winner at Windsor Park) and they were well beaten today (by Dungannon).”
The Blues’ next league game comes against fierce rivals Glentoran at Windsor Park on Friday night, after a visit to east Belfast to face Playr-Fit Championship side Dundela in the first round of the League Cup on Tuesday night.
Healy said: “We are only thinking about the Dundela game. They have started well in their league. We will have to make sure we are switched on and fired up.”
Ballymena made it six wins in a row by edging out Portadown 1-0 at Shamrock Park through an Ethan Devine header right on half-time.
Braid boss Jim Ervin said: “It’s a massive three points for us and particularly pleasing is the clean sheet.”
Ballymena made a sluggish start to the season but have since hit top form.
Ervin added: “We brought a lot of new players in - it was always going to take time to gel.
“Now we just look at our next game - Rathfriland in the League Cup on Tuesday night. We’ll make a few changes as we have a lot of sore bodies. We will utilise the squad and lads will get the opportunity to perform and impress. We will look to kick on and keep this run going.”
Dungannon were 4-0 winners over basement side Carrick Rangers at Stangmore Park while Crusaders also netted four without reply away to struggling Loughgall. Glentoran and Glenavon drew 0-0 at the Oval.
Larne were 3-1 winners over Cliftonville at Solitude on Friday night ahead of facing Molde in Norway on Thursday in the Europa Conference League - the first time an Irish League side will play in the group stage of European competition. But will Lynch still be in charge?