Linfield may be sitting top of the Danske Bank Premiership but boss David Healy believes the champions have another gear to find in the final strait.
A midweek 2-1 win over Dungannon Swifts edged the Blues to the summit, a point clear of Glentoran with 11 games to play, but questions persist about recent form.
The Big Two giants had won just three of their previous nine games in all competitions prior to Andy Waterworth’s match winning brace against the Swifts.
Asked if it’s a positive that Linfield appear to have another gear at their disposal heading into the business end of the season, Healy said: “I believe there is another one there.
“We’re still in and around getting there. Have we got there yet? No. We might not get there between now the end of the season, but the same could be said of other teams.
“I thrive on the fact people are asking questions of us. Hopefully we can get better, collectively and individually, and we’ll see where we are come the end of April.”
Healy believes Linfield proved en route to lifting the title last year that they have the ability and character to “dig out” crucial results at a key stage of the campaign.]
Ahead of today’s trip to Warrenpoint Town, he said: “The bulk of our players and staff have been over the course and distance before and we know what it takes to dig out results.
“I remember going down to Newry City last February and we won 1-0. It wasn’t pretty but Chris Casement scored in the 92nd minute.
“There will be games when we’re not at our best, but it’s important you find a way to win. And we did that against Dungannon on Tuesday.”
On facing a Warrenpoint side scrapping for survival near the foot of the table, Healy said: “Milltown is a tough place to go but we’ll look forward to it.
“I had huge respect for Stephen McDonnell when he was manager down there and Barry Gray has gone in and found a way to be competitive and hard to beat.”
Healy freely admits Linfield’s winner against Dungannon - a looping Waterworth header that crept in off the far post - came wrapped in a coating of good fortune.
Teenage Swifts keeper Conner Byrne was deceived by the flight of the ball and appeared to think it was drifting wide, only for the net to billow behind him.
Healy said: “We got a little bit of luck with our winner, but overall I don’t think we’ve had much luck recently with some costly decisions going against us.
“Everyone outside this club thinks ‘Linfield gets all the lucky decisions and lucky breaks’ but do I think we’ve had too much much this season? No.”
