Cliftonville manager Eddie Patterson was delighted to see his side get back to winning ways at Ballymena United and now has revenge over Linfield in his sights.

One thing is for sure that the Reds will face a much stiffer test at Windsor Park on Tuesday night than the one they faced at the Showgrounds yesterday where Ballymena United were second best all across the windswept pitch.

Patterson, though, was happy to see his side win thanks to first-half goals from Mark Holland and Chris Scannell and, although Michael Ward replied for the Braidmen, Francis Murphy’s clinical strike just after the hour ensured there was no nervy finish.

“It was an excellent three points and a good way to bounce back from last week,” Patterson said.

“We were disappointed last week but we knew it was going to be difficult here with the conditions and it was going to be a game of two halves.

“I thought we started off well but gave a sloppy goal away to Ballymena that brought them back into it but at half-time we had a good chat, kept the ball on the deck and tried to play it about.

“We knew it was always going to be difficult but at the end of the day we got another goal, a good through ball to Francie and he finished it off well and it guaranteed us the three points.

“We look forward now to Tuesday night now and Linfield and if we can pick something up from that game who’s to say what might happen over the next few weeks.”

Ballymena conceded five goals against Cliftonville in the opening game of the season on a day to forget for Alan Blayney and the first-half brought another red face for the big keeper.

He wasn’t helped by a gale force wind blowing into his goal and in the 21st minute the Reds early huffing and puffing blew down United’s resistance when Holland’s header looped over a stranded Blayney.

John Connolly did well at the other end to deny Ward an equaliser and it proved crucial in the 29th minute when Blayney failed to hold onto Holland’s shot and Chris Scannell gratefully snapped up the rebound.

United grabbed a life-line a minute before the interval thanks to the one genuine moment of quality from the home side when David Cushley’s slide-rule pass released Ward and he calmly shot across Connolly and into the far corner.

Chris Scannell and Ryan Deans both exchanged efforts in the early stages of the second period but the Reds seized total control of the game again in the 63rd minute when Francis Murphy latched onto Barry Johnston’s clever pass and lashed it home from just inside the box.

It summed up United’s play, caught on the hop and in truth they were lucky the Reds didn’t punish their inept display with further goals.

For Roy Walker it was a return to the bad old days and bad old ways for his Sky Blues and he wants the rot stopped quickly.

“From the first minute to the last minute we were second all over the pitch,” admitted Walker.

“It was a throwback to some of the disappointing performances of earlier in the season, which we thought were largely eradicated. We got what we deserved today and that was nothing.

“We didn’t do enough, not too many on our team came out with credit, if any, and I can’t remember a battle being won.

“We were out-muscled first of all, out-hustled secondly and out-tussled and it was a game in which we didn’t show any real spark or desire.”