David Healy: Linfield must hit back and find pre-split momentum

David Healy applauds the Linfield support following the game at Mourneview Park

Linfield striker Chris McKee shows his frustration after going close at Mourneview Park

Stephen Fallon works his way round Glenavon goalkeeper Gareth Deane to open the scoring

Darragh McBrien is mobbed after scoring what looked like being a late winner for Linfield

Delight for Glenavon as Aaron Prendergast tucks away a injury-time leveller

It wasn’t just the points that rival managers Stephen McDonnell and David Healy shared after an enthralling and thrilling 2-2 draw between their teams at Mourneview Park.

Glenavon boss McDonnell and Linfield chief Healy both have the same thoughts about how crucial the next six weeks are to their teams before the season reaches the split — even if their ambitions beyond that do differ.

For Healy, the late twist, when Darragh McBrien’s 88th minute header looked to have clinched victory for the Blues before Aaron Prendergast grabbed a dramatic 97th minute equaliser, once again — two weeks after losing at home to Dungannon Swifts — highlighted to him how crucial it is for his team to be beating that kind of opposition, in order to ensure that it will be the head-to-head encounters against title rivals Cliftonville and Larne that will decide the destination of the Gibson Cup at the end of the campaign.

Linfield striker Chris McKee shows his frustration after going close at Mourneview Park

He knows that dropping further points to teams outside the top bracket will mean those top-of-the-table clashes will take on a different level of importance than they already have.

“I think everybody will agree that it is probably down to the three teams now,” said Healy, whose side are now a point behind leaders Larne.

“We