They are due to lock horns again on Wednesday night in the second leg of their Co-operative Insurance Cup tie with the Swifts sitting on a three-goal advantage.

Jamie Mulgrew fired Linfield in front after just 11 minutes with a strong finish from inside the box after Michael Carvill had cut the ball back from the right.

It was a lead they held until the 61st minute when former Linfield frontman Timmy Adamson levelled for the Swifts after he turned a defender inside the box to deliver a strong shot beyond Alan Mannus.

But the Blues regained the advantage within six minutes courtesy of a Mark Miskimmin header into the roof of the net from a Damian Curren right-sided corner.

And ten minutes later Glenn Ferguson made sure of the points with a superb header into the corner of the net from a Jamie Mulgrew cross.