Blues send out title challenge as they return to the top

In a fiery encounter at Windsor Park, the Blues saw on-loan striker Peter Thompson dismissed with a straight red card just before half-time in a match which also saw six bookings in a full-blooded affair.

Boss David Jeffrey had made several changes to the starting line-up following last week's 4-2 defeat to Coleraine, most notably in defence with club captain Noel Bailie earning a recall along with Kris Lindsay with BJ Burns and JP Gallagher returning from suspension and injury respectively. Michael Carvill also returned from suspension in place of Damien Curran.

The changes paid off, however, as the Blues now sit one point clear at the top with games in hand over their main title rivals.

In a cagey affair, it took some time for the match to warm up inside a bitterly cold Windsor Park and when it did, it threatened to boil over as Peter Thompson and Colin Coates clashed in the centre circle on the half-hour mark resulting in an ugly free-for-all involving both sets of players.

After restoring calm referee Colin Burns produced yellow cards for Thompson and Jordan Owens.

However, the Blues were soon celebrating when Philip Lowry broke the deadlock on 41 minutes.

Robert Garrett delivered the free-kick from the left which wasn't cleared by the visiting defence, and when the ball fell to Lowry the midfielder could take a touch at the back post before rifling a shot high into the roof of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

There were shouts for a penalty one minute later when Crusaders keeper Chris Keenan collided with Carvill inside the box.

The Blues fans' frustration was heightened in first half injury time when Thompson received his marching orders for an elbowing offence on Colin Coates.

The striker was adjudged to have used an elbow in an aerial challenge with Coates resulting in referee Burns producing a straight red card.

Linfield were gifted their second goal on 55 minutes when Gareth McKeown brought down Jamie Mulgrew with a clumsy challenge inside the box.

Curtis Allen stepped up to send Keenan the wrong way for his ninth goal of the season.

The game then petered out with the depleted Blues protecting their lead while Crusaders toiled and laboured without any end result.

With leaders Cliftonville and second-placed Glentoran both losing on Tuesday night, David Jeffrey's men find themselves at the top of the league, but in a season full of twists and turns there is still a long road ahead in the race for the title.

The Blues will be in action on Friday when they take on St. Patrick's Athletic in Dublin in the Setanta Sports Cup.