Irish Premiership: From harsh words to last hurrahs - how Shayne Lavery-inspired Linfield won the title

Outgoing defender Mark Haughey scored Linfield's vital goal on Tuesday night

David Healy was bitterly annoyed and made no attempt to disguise it.

"As much as you don't want to say it, I think we were beaten by a hungrier and better team. The level of our performance was nowhere near the standards needed. The players are under no illusions as to how disappointing they were individually and collectively."

Damning words.

The date was 2 March and his Linfield team had just lost 3-1 to Glentoran at the Oval, making it two defeats inside a week against their Big Two rivals.

Healy's men still held a significant lead at the top of the Irish Premiership table, but Northern Ireland's record goalscorer did not appear to have been drawing too much comfort from that as he delivered his post-match media interviews.

While the players' lack of hunger was what dominated the headlines, a call to action also resonated - "we have always tried to respond in the past, but it feels as if we are always trying to respond at the minute".

Respond, though, the players did, winning their next five matches in a row - and nine of their next 11 - to continue paving the way to their third consecutive Irish Premiership title which they clinched with Tuesday night's 1-1 draw away to Coleraine.

With the celebrations no doubt still ongoing, BBC Sport NI looks at four key factors in what is a world record-equalling 55th league success, and one which of course completed a league and Irish Cup double.

Healy keeps delivering under pressure

Healy has now won eight trophies since becoming Linfield manager in 2015

Does David Healy get the credit he deserves for the body of work he is putting together as Linfield manager? A moot point, possibly, but what is undeniable is that he has delivered time and again under pressure.

Having stepped into the Windsor Park hotseat in October 2015 for what was his first managerial role at 35, he has set about his task of restoring his childhood club's credentials as serial Irish Premiership winners.

The Blues have now lifted the Gibson Cup in four of Healy's five full seasons in charge and he looks to be comfortable dealing with all the trappings that come with the job, including the supporters' relentless demands for silverware.

This season has been hugely challenging for all clubs, but, after a disappointing European campaign, Healy has navigated all the difficulties presented by Covid-19, with perhaps his most impressive quality being how he has ensured his players responded well every time their title bid hit a rough patch.

He is well aware of the Big Two rivalry and the social media bragging rights which those two defeats in quick succession will have handed to Glenmen, but he clearly did not let the disappointment fester amongst his squad.

Lethal Lavery leads from the front

Lavery impressed as a substitute for Northern Ireland in their opening World Cup qualifier away to Italy

After a blistering start and that iconic Europa League goal against Qarabag, Shayne Lavery's first season at Linfield tailed off somewhat during the winter, before Covid-19 brought the campaign to a premature end.

His start to 2020-21 was slow enough too, but it began to catch fire in December and, particularly from late February onwards, the former Everton striker's sharpness, energy and goalscoring instincts turned him into a talismanic figure on the pitch for the Blues.

Just when it looked like opposing teams may have worked him out by dropping deep and depriving him of the space in behind that he loves to run into, Lavery has improved his all-round game with his back to goal, while still finding ways to turn defences with his non-stop running.

His pressing style has made him an ideal spearhead for Healy's preferred 4-2-3-1 system, helping create space in behind for the hugely talented Jordan Stewart in particular who, until recent matches, was hurting teams with his armoury of tricks.

Healy has said several times that Lavery is likely to make a move to England or Scotland in the summer, and finding a suitable replacement for a man who has scored 30 goals with a game to go will no doubt top the manager's 'to-do' list in the off season.

January recruits bolster title bid

Palmer had loan spells with Clyde and Partick Thistle before joining Linfield

There was much made by Linfield of their capture of Navid Nasseri and Conor Pepper from Glentoran last summer, particularly so as the deals were announced the morning after the Glens lifted the Irish Cup.

After promising starts to their Windsor Park careers - and good recent form from Pepper - neither signing has really made the impact Healy would have hoped, particularly given the scrutiny that supporters put the club's record in the transfer market under.

However, a much more resounding success was the arrival at Windsor in January of midfielder Cameron Palmer from Rangers on an 18-month contract. The 21-year-old got attuned to the rhythm and tempo of the league almost immediately, with his ball carrying, driving runs and passing ability making him a huge asset to the team, none more so than in the recent Irish Cup final win.

This was particularly so given the injuries suffered by midfield regulars Jamie Mulgrew, Kyle McClean and Stephen Fallon, with Palmer's presence ensuring the engine room of the team did not suffer.

January also saw the return to Linfield, albeit only until the end of this season, of winger Joel Cooper, who had left Windsor for League One's Oxford United last summer. While perhaps not reaching the performance heights that earned him his move on a consistent basis, the former Glenavon man's dribbling ability and tenacity in wide areas mean he has still made a major contribution.

Last hurrahs for go-to stalwarts

Waterworth's tally for the season included a four-goal haul against Warrenpoint

For all of the comings and goings in the Linfield squad, Healy continued to turn to a core of experienced players who were already at the club when he arrived.

Striker Andy Waterworth and defenders Mark Haughey and Mark Stafford have been hugely influential in the Blues' continued league success and once again this season they each made significant contributions at different stages.

One of the best strikers in the Irish League for over a decade now, Waterworth in particular has weighed in with vital goals at key stages of the campaign, particular for a spell at the start before Lavery was fully firing. Haughey, of course, scored their vital goal in Tuesday's title-clinching draw at Coleraine.

With the south Belfast club embarking on a new full-time regime from next season, this trio are heading for the exit door and it may only be when they are gone that their value - on the pitch and off it - will be full appreciated.

With Jimmy Callacher's future in a Linfield shirt also the topic of speculation due to the full-time move, it would seem that Healy will need to replace these stalwarts with the required quality if he wants to increase the title count to four in a row.