Paddy McLaughlin: Premiership title race is over and has been for some time

Glenavon manager Paddy McLaughlin declares the race for the Sports Direct Premiership is well over as Linfield will not be caught.

The Blues are 19 points clear of the chasing pack though several clubs have games in hand.

Second-placed Glentoran have two games in hand on their bitter rivals which, if they win both, would reduce the gap to Linfield to 13 points.

Reigning double Champions Larne are 27 points behind the league leaders with four games in hand, meaning if they took maximum points from the outstanding games the lead would be down to 15 points.

Glentoran and Larne’s plight was not helped on Tuesday night when both clubs were held to a 1-1 draw by Ballymena United and McLaughlin’s Lurgan Blues, who both scored in added time.

But McLaughlin says these results were academic as the destiny of the Gibson Cup this season was settled long before Tuesday night.

“The league was over about six weeks ago”, said McLaughlin.

“Anyone that tells you any different is only a fool because the league was won a long time ago.

“Nobody has the consistency that Linfield have and if Linfield went from now to the end of the season undefeated I wouldn’t be surprised.

“It was over a long time ago. David Healy won’t tell you that until it’s mathematically impossible for anyone to catch them but I feel the engraving is already done on the league trophy.

“Linfield have run away with the league this year for the simple reason that they are the most consistent, can produce results when they deserve them and can get results maybe when they’re not at their best.

“They just find a way to win and that’s the mark of champions.

“Because they are so strong and so far ahead I don’t think you can be critical of the rest of us.

“You have to give all the plaudits and a pat on the back to David, his squad and his staff, they’ve been the most consistent and that’s why they are so far ahead, but the rest of us are definitely improving, there’s no doubt about that.”

Meanwhile, Glenavon are thriving under the manager from Derry and have won six of their last eight games, drawing with Larne and losing to former club Cliftonville after extra time in the Irish Cup.

The Mourneview Park club has now overtaken Ballymena to move into 9th place in the top flight, 13 points ahead of the relegation zone, a remarkable turnaround.

Indeed, if Glenavon maintain this form they could very easily have a tilt at making the European play-off spots but McLaughlin will not get carried away.

“We’re still in between the two, we’re still looking over our shoulder until we’re mathematically secure in our status for next season.

“But I said to the players during the week, you’ve got to be ambitious as well and we have ambitions to break into the top six, if not this year then next year.”