A disappointing score-line, and more importantly outcome, in a game where only one goal had separated the two teams for the best part of eighty odd minutes.

Things though could have been different after the Whites had started positively.Barely a minute had gone before Andy Kilmartin's header landed on the roof of the net and the visitors took the game to the Blues. The pace of Andy Waterworth on both flanks caused problems and with Francis Murphy very much in form in the first half, the wind- assisted Whites should have gone ahead on twenty-two minutes.

Waterworth broke through on the left, Alan Mannus when down at the striker's feet, the striker ended up on the park and the referee pointed straight to the spot.Darren Armour took the kick and whilst Mannus went the wrong way, he was able to keep Armour's effort out with his trailing leg.

It was a costly miss, the Blues going ahead three minutes later following a very well worked goal down the left. Paul McAreavey fed Aiden O'Kane, his near post cross was perfect and in burst Mark Dickson to send the ball into the net.

Linfield began to gain the advantage, but the Whites came back and whilst the home side went in ahead at the break they can thank keeper Mannus for that. He saved well at his near post from Waterworth before he made a top notch save to keep out Waterworth once more.The number nine had turned Stephen Douglas but his fierce drive was turned over the bar by the outstetched hand of the keeper.

Conditions got worse in the second period, but it was the Blues who threatened much more although Waterworth did get a cross in which Paul Muir couldn't quite reach and Mannus gathered.

On 81 minutes Phil Matthews let Dickson's corner get past him and into the goal and Thomas Stewart added the third on 89 minutes after Matthews could only parry a low cross from Peter Thompson and the Linfield substitute had the easy task of scoring.Matthews made a good save from O'Kane as the Whites struggled in the final minutes but it was a game, bar those last disastrous ten minutes, that something could have been got from.

One possible cup semi-final opponent played, the other possible one will meet the Whites at New Grosvenor next week - Ballymena Utd