Lavery & Cooper score hat-tricks as Blues smash Warrenpoint 7-0

Linfield moved to within two points of the Danske Bank Premiership leaders with an emphatic 7-0 win over a miserable Warrenpoint Town at Windsor Park.

Shaye Lavery and Joel Cooper each scored hat-tricks for the home side who now have two games in hand over first-placed Coleraine ahead of the two sides playing this weekend.

The Blues' extended run in Europe resulted in them falling behind schedule in the congested domestic calendar, but they've made up ground in impressive fashion, this most recent win their third in a row.

In the 9th minute Stephen Fallon sent them on their way. He was teed up by Joel Cooper just inside the box and Fallon's side-footed effort crept past goalkeeper Beraat Turker to give Linfield an early lead.

Shayne Lavery then volleyed the second goal of the night into the top corner in the 23rd minute after more good creative work by Cooper down the left.

On the stroke of half time, the Northern Ireland international made it 3, casually backheeling the ball into an empty net from 15 yards after Turker failed to collect after rushing off his line.

Lavery bagged his third just 5 minutes into the second half, driving down the left before cutting inside and powering an 18-yard effort into the bottom corner to make it 4-0 to Linfield.

On the hour it got even worse for an abject Warrenpoint side as Cooper found the net, heading home a Matthew Clarke corner from the right.

Cooper continued a superb night in the 83rd minute as he slid in to covert Millar's cross from close range to make it 6-0, and he then slammed in number 7 in the 89th minute to wrap up a man of the match performance.