Linfield fans had their Christmas wish granted by one man who can be relied upon to deliver every bit as efficiently as Santa Claus.

Forget about iPods, Wiis with all the added on bits or a collection of Chocolate Oranges, there was only one thing that Bluemen wanted this festive season — three points on Boxing Day.

And there will be no need to go hunting for the receipt to return that present as everyone bedecked in blue was more than satisfied with what they got.

They were able to enjoy the gift being unwrapped right in front of their eyes as Glenn Ferguson once again proved to be the nemesis of Glentoran.

Cutting the Glens lead in the title race to just two points — and with a match in hand — was simply a bonus for the Blues.

No other Linfield played had scored in their previous two games against Portadown and Lisburn Distillery as Ferguson sat in the stand and he returned to the starting-line up with timing as good as that which he showed on the pitch to score Linfield’s first and second goals in what was a comfortable 3-0 win over their Big Two rivals.

He, like Steven Douglas, William Murphy, Robert Garrett, Jamie Mulgrew and Michael Carvill stepped up to the mark when it mattered most.

That was the difference. As Douglas — playing out of position at centre-half —strolled through the game doing exactly the job the man he was replacing, Noel Bailie, would have done.

Mulgrew’s drive, Garrett’s bite and Carvill’s pace set the tone for Linfield while Glentoran’s key men never really got to grips with proceedings.

Shane McCabe did try to spark things in the midfield, but he wasn’t helped at all by his partner Daryl Fordyce, who disappeared in the heat of battle.

He wasn’t the only one. Grant Gardiner came off the bench when Sean Ward suffered and ankle injury and was anonymous while Michael Halliday — restored to the starting line-up, probably as much for his impressive record in Big Two matches as anything else — didn’t justify his recall. In fairness, however, the front two of Halliday and Gary Hamilton were totally starved of service.

Linfield’s strikeforce weren’t as every ball was targeted towards either on the ground for Carvill to run on to with his pace or high to Ferguson.

It wasn’t so much long-ball tactics, more like the Blues playing to their strengths in an attempt to get a vital victory.

Ferguson’s first goal after just nine minutes was as clinical a finish as Ferguson has delivered in his career, latching onto the ball after a fortunate break off Jamie Mulgrew.

He shrugged off the challenge of Colin Nixon before unleashing a powerful strike past Big Two debutant James Taylor in the Glentoran goal with just nine minutes gone.

It was to get worse for Nixon as he stepped up to take a penalty three minutes later after David Scullion had been fouled by Aaron Burns.

The opportunity for the Glens to respond immediately was wasted, however, as the spot-kick was almost rolled into the arms of Alan Mannus as he dived to his right.

Ferguson then dispatched the second four minutes from half-time, via a deflection after Garrett’s right-wing cross.

The Glens wasted another chance nine minutes into the second-half when Gary Hamilton somehow bundled the ball wide from a couple of yards out when he looked certain to score and that was that for the Glens.

Damian Curran’s smashing left-foot volley just after the hour mark killed the game as a contest and when play restarted after substitute referee Michael McLaughlin called a seven-minute halt to proceedings when broken seats landed on the pitch as trouble flared between rival fans in the Kop Stand and North Stand, the momentum had gone from the game and it was just a matter of playing out the remaining minutes — although Linfield midfielder Garrett was sent-off towards the end after becoming entangled with Glentoran’s Andy Waterworth.

What Linfield will do now, with Ferguson looking like he will be set for a spell on the sidelines having been carried off with a knee injury, time will tell, but right now their fans are savouring a happy Christmas.

LINFIELD: Mannus, Hagan, Douglas, Murphy, O’Kane, Garrett, Mulgrew, Curran, Burns (White 66), Ferguson (Lambe 82), Carvill. Subs: Addis, Martin, Munster.

GLENTORAN: Taylor, Nixon, Leeman, Simpson, Ward (Gardiner 29), Scullion, Fordyce, McCabe, Neill, Hamilton, Halliday (Waterworth 66). Subs: Fitzgerald, Boyce, McGovern.

Referee: David Malcolm (Bangor) replaced at half-time by Michael McLaughlin.