UEFA Europa Conference League Report: Linfield 4 - 0 Borac Banja Luka

Graeme Hanna reports from Windsor Park

Dominant, rampant Linfield made an emphatic statement of intent with a thoroughly deserved 4-0 win over Bosnian champions Borac Banja Luka in Windsor Park.

First-half goals from central defender Michael Newberry and French striker Christy Manzinga were complimented by a second half strike from skipper Jamie Mulgrew.

Jimmy Callacher put the icing on the cake with the fourth as David Healy’s side have all but guaranteed their place in the third round.

The match was just about a minute into play when an early yellow came for Begic for a foul on Cameron Palmer. In the next phase of play, the Blues opened the scoring.

Michael Newberry finished after an excellent chance had been spurned by Manzinga, from Train Hume’s driven cross, who somehow missed his header from point blank range.

It soon became clear that the visitors would look to disrupt Linfield and break the game up as much as possible.

That included some theatrics with the aim of influencing the Finnish referee, Kaarlo Hamalainen.

By the quarter hour mark, Borac had barely threatened, and the home side were firmly in the ascendency.

A Matthew Clarke diagonal found Hume, whose trickery was too much for the Borac left-back, Cosic. From Kirk Millar’s free-kick delivery, the ball was headed over for a corner.

Linfield keeper Chris Johns registered his first meaningful save after 25 minutes, when breaking ball was squared into the box, but Panagiotis Moraitis couldn’t convert.

Watching former Dundalk star Chris Shields, it was clear to see his impact and importance to Linfield, even at this very early stage of his career in Belfast.

Acting as a pivot, with Jamie Mulgrew and Cammy Palmer to either side of him, Shields would split the Blues central defenders, constantly providing options and an angle.

Neat, tidy and industrious, Shields was setting the tone and soon things would get even better for Linfield.

A lofted ball in behind the visitors defence from Stephen Fallon released the former Motherwell man Manzinga.

He got to the ball first but appeared to hesitate, but instead shifted the ball inside onto his left foot and rifled the ball high into the net, leaving keeper Bojan Pavlovic helpless.

The Frenchman threatened again just past the half-hour as he exploited the lack of pace of Marko Jovanovic in the Borac defence.

Manzinga ran off his shoulder once again and took advantage of the space in behind the Bosnian champions backline.

Another good move saw Linfield create an opening on the left edge of the box but Stephen Fallon fired high and wide.

The second half began with an excellent saving tackle from Shields as Borac striker Moraitis drove into the box.

Borac began to build pressure as the hour approached and gain territory in the Linfield half. A corner soon followed but the captain Stojan Vranjes could only head over the bar.

The Linfield supporters roared with encouragement as their team were content to sit deep, allowing too much pressure, and lone striker Manzinga was becoming too isolated.

Further pressure followed - Chris John produced a fine save, over the bar for a corner, but the ref’s whistle had already blown for an infringement – but the tide didn’t turn.

With 15 minutes remaining, Mulgrew found himself in acres of space in the box from a Matthew Clark assist, after the left-back had overlapped Fallon on the left flank.

Captain fantastic Mulgrew dispatched a controlled finish into the bottom right of the net and the Irish champions led 3-0.

The visitors passed up a gilt-edged chance to pull one back with five minutes left as Zakaric headed over from inside the box.

Shields was still dictating as the game entered the dying minutes and, like the midfielder, Linfield weren’t finished yet.

As the clock ticked 90, a loose ball was picked up in a deep position by Trai Hume, who strode forward with purpose and aggression right into the box.

Hume’s lobbed finish beat the keeper but was headed off the line by a covering defender, but the Blues didn’t have to wait long for an astonishing fourth.

Jimmy Callacher powered a trademark header home from Kirk Millar’s inswinging corner to send the Bluemen into raptures in the Windsor Park stands.

What a night it was for David Healy’s men, who will be more than confident of getting the job done next week in Banja Luka.

Only a very unlikely five-goal swing will prevent Linfield from progressing to the third qualifying round where they would face Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus or Luxembourg’s Fola Esch, with the latter winning the first leg 2-1.

Linfield: Chris Johns; Trai Hume, Michael Newberry, Jimmy Callacher (Sam Roscoe-Byrne 90), Matthew Clarke; Chris Shiels, Jamie Mulgrew, Cameron Palmer; Kirk Millar, Stephen Fallon (Niall Quinn 81), Christy Manzinga (Andrew Clarke 81),

Subs not used: David Walsh, Matthew Williamson, Conor Pepper, Ahmed Salam, Navid Nasseri.

Booked: Trai Hume (18), Andrew Clarke (83)

Borac: Bojan Pavlovic; Dino Coric, Marko Jovanovic, Djordje Milojevic (Aleksandar Subic 46), Djordje Cosic; Amar Begic (Donald Molls 46), Aleksandar Vojnovic (Enver Kulasin 67), Stojan Vranjes; Goran Zakaric, Dejan Meleg (Milan Vusurovic 79), Panagiotis Moraitis (Ante Zivkovic 78).

Subs not used: Nikola Cetkovic (gk), Nikola Latic (ggk), Marko Kujundzic, Sinisa Dujakovic, David Cavic.

Booked: Amar Begic (3), Aleksandar Vojnovic (56), Donald Molls (69), Aleksandar Subic (78), Milan Vusuoriv (90).

Referee: Kaarlo Oskari Hamalainen (Finland).

Attendance: 1,000 (restricted - season ticket holders only).

extratime.com Player of the Match: Chris Shields (Linfield).

I just don't think you understand... pic.twitter.com/oQoQ0dN3po

— Linfield FC (@OfficialBlues) July 22, 2021