Despite the eventual goal glut the assembled spectators had to wait until six minutes from the break to see the deadlock broken when Peter Thompson fired Linfield into the lead with a close range volley after a Mark Magennis corner came off the bar before being knocked on by Winkie Murphy.

However the bottom of the table visitors levelled three minutes into the second half through Kieran O'Connor who fired home after the home defence failed to deal with a cross into the penalty area.

The Blues regained the advantage on 52 minutes when Glenn Ferguson glanced a header past Paul Rice from a Mark Magennis ball while, two minutes after that, Stephen Douglas added a third with a near post header from a Paul McAreavey corner.

City reduced the deficit on 55 minutes through Stephen Hyndes but any hopes of grabbing an equaliser were dashed on the hour when Ferguson claimed his second of the game from another Magennis pass.

And it was 5-2 on 61 minutes courtesy of recent signing Thomas Stewart when he took the ball past two defenders before beating Gavin Cushley with a curling effort.