Healy unhappy with Windsor Park pitch after draw

Healy pointed out that there have been no internationals at Windsor Park in October and November and wondered whether "maybe some people have taken their eye off the ball".

Linfield boss David Healy criticised the condition of the Windsor Park pitch after his team's goalless Irish Premiership draw with Crusaders.

"There have been no international games in October and November and maybe some people have taken their eye off the ball," Healy told BBC Sport NI.

"You certainly want it in a better state than it was today."

Healy said that the National Stadium pitch should be maintained to the "same standard" for both internationals and Irish League games.

"It's been disappointing and it's been gradually getting worse over the last number of weeks," added the Blues boss.

"You want two teams going at it and playing good football. I thought it was poor the other night against Larne but again you can't sometime blame the pitch for a lack of quality from both sides in the final third.

"Certainly the pitch didn't help. I thought the standard of the pitch was poor but again if the pitch could talk, the pitch would probably say that the standard and quality of the two teams today was probably also poor."

The Irish Premiership champions were without seven injured players in Saturday's game and Stephen Fallon looks to have been added to the list after twisting his knee in the contest.

"I'm not a medical expert and would never proclaim to be but Stevie Fallon went down today and I think he basically slid on the surface and jarred his knee," added the Linfield boss.

"We play Carrick at home next Saturday and then we're off it for a couple of weeks so hopefully some kind of improvement can be made [to the pitch]."

The Irish FA has been asked if it wishes to respond to Healy's comments.

Linfield's draw means they are five points behind leaders Larne, who suffered a second successive defeat as they lost at home against Coleraine, while the Crues are ahead of the Blues on goal difference in fourth spot.