David Healy: I’m proud of my Linfield players answering the stinging and scathing criticism

Linfield players celebrate with goalscorer Kyle McClean

David Healy insists he always remained positive - despite Linfield's mini-slump

Linfield goalscorer Kyle McClean shows his delight to the Blues fans

David Healy says that looking at the bigger statistical picture meant there was no reason for Linfield to panic ahead of Tuesday’s heavyweight showdown with Cliftonville.

Having registered just a single point from their three previous Sports Direct Premiership outings, many observers had started doubting the Blues’ bottle for a title fight but they answered their critics in emphatic style by departing Solitude with a 3-0 victory that could have been even more convincing.

Second-half goals from Kyle McClean, Daniel Finlayson and Chris McKee saw Healy’s men leapfrog Jim Magilton’s Reds back into second place and, though table-toppers Larne hold a game in hand, Linfield are now just a point behind the defending champions.

“Stinging, scathing criticism is not nice,” said Healy of the reaction to his side’s 3-0 reverse at Coleraine on Friday night.

“I don’t like to see my players on the end of that. I care for them and I care for their welfare but the level of performance against Coleraine was pretty good to a point. We probably should have taken the lead at Coleraine but we didn’t and it’s always a fear coming into the next game if you miss one or two, the confidence may drain a little bit.

“Cliftonville are an outstanding team and that’s why the level of performance and result is big for us. They’ve been rampant, they’ve been battering teams of late, so it was important to – I wouldn’t say put some sort of marker down – but make sure we competed against a really in-form team.”

Healy insists that, while it would be easy to