David Healy's 'go right to the end' promise as Linfield bid to keep title dream alive in Larne showdown

​Healy’s Blues trail defending champions Larne by three points heading into the penultimate match of a thrilling Sports Direct Premiership title race.

Larne’s search for back-to-back Gibson Cup crowns is also bolstered by a goal difference superior by 17.

Recent midweek drama in which Linfield lost the lead at Coleraine off an injury-time goal and Larne secured victory over Glentoran across added minutes marked another twist in a championship challenge celebrating both chaos and consistency.

Linfield can still secure a domestic knockout double by adding the Irish Cup next month to the BetMcLean Cup prize previously secured at Windsor Park this campaign.

However, league titles remain the true measure of greatness and Healy is refusing to give up the fight – aware home success tonight would force events to the final day.

“There are now two games left,” he said. “We will be doing our best against Larne on Monday.

“We at Linfield will go right to the end, as we always have done.

“We’ll battle on until it’s mathematically impossible to catch Larne.

“Whether we are fighting for the league championship or whether we are fighting for pride, we need to be hungry and go and do the job.

"Anything is possible in this game.”

Preparations for the Larne home date have been held in response to that heart-breaking 2-2 draw in Coleraine in which Linfield managed to turn the tables on an early 1-0 deficit and lead 2-1 only for former Blues forward Matthew Shevlin to convert across injury-time.

“It’s hard to put into words,” said Healy after the result in Coleraine. “We are dejected, disappointed and frustrated.

“I didn’t recognise the players in the first half...I didn’t recognise the shape or whatever they were trying to do…but we turned it around after the break.

“We had enough experience out there to handle the situation but to be done right at the end is really disappointing.

“We got a lift in the second half with the early goals but we were done right at the end.

“It has happened too frequently and it’s why we are in the position we are in at the minute...we couldn’t hold on to a lead in the 97th minute.

"We dropped points against Glenavon earlier in the season by conceding on 97 minutes and we did it again.

“Those are the type of games, when your reflect back, that have cost us our position at the top of the table.

“It was a double whammy in terms of what happened across town at the Oval (Larne’s 2-1 win).

“To be honest, I wasn’t completely aware (of the result) at the end.

“The bottom line is, we didn’t deal with a cross that came into our box (against Coleraine) and we didn’t deal with an unmarked player in our box...we didn’t get touch-tight enough to him.”