Battling point keeps Blues on course

It was never going to be a classic on the difficult Solitude surface, more frantic and compact with very few chances created on the night.

"The last time we came here we lost 4-0. I was embarrassed and ashamed with that performance and I used it as a motivating factor," said boss David Jeffrey. "This was much better and although it was not too pretty there was plenty of honest effort from both teams.

"We had the better chances in the first half and got our noses in front with a lovely worked goal by Mark McAllister. They threw everything at us in the second half yet Jamie Tomelty hits the bar with a great header and then two minutes later they go up the other end and score the equaliser.

"Overall, I suppose a draw was a fair result. If that effort from Jamie had have gone in, we'd have come away with all three points. It's a tough place to come to and I'm happy with a point on the night."

The league leaders carved out the best openings of the first half. The first chance fell to Curtis Allen but his angled drive was saved by John Connolly. A poor clearance by Connolly was picked up by McAllister and he was just wide of the mark with a stinging drive from 18 yards. Philip Lowry found himself free at the far post but his header was directed straight at the keeper.

The pressing paid off on 24 minutes when a long throw from Billy Joe Burns was flicked on by McAllister and his effort sailed over a stranded Connolly.

Five minutes later the Reds had their first effort on goal when Caldwell made a great run in behind the Blues' defence and his thumping shot was not far off target.

Alan Blayney needed two attempts to gather a header from Mark Holland just before the end of the half.

The Blues made a nervous start to the second half and twice the Reds went close from two free kicks conceded on the edge of the area. On both occasions Blayney was relived to see efforts from Francis Murphy fly wide of his goal.

Jamie Mulgrew was coming in for some robust challenges and the Linfield fans were up in arms when referee Alan Black took no action when the midfielder was chopped down again by Ryan Catney who was already on a yellow card.

The Reds kept pushing hard and they brought on NI under21 striker Liam Boyce, but it was the visitors who nearly grabbed another goal. A searching cross from Lowry was met by Jamie Tomelty and his header came crashing back off the bar. Had that effort gone in it would have sealed the points, but within two minutes it was all square. Catney played a free kick into the box and Boyce got ahead of his marker to more or less pass the ball into the net just wide of Blayney's left hand.

It was a nervous ending for the Blues but they held out for what could prove a valuable point in the race for the title.