Glenn Ferguson scored a hat-trick against Armagh City

The Blues took the lead after just two minutes when Glenn Ferguson steered the ball in after a quickly-taken free.

Linfield then went two up on nine minutes through Oran Kearney.

Ferguson scored two more to complete a hat-trick and Peter Thompson headed the fifth for Linfield while Pat McShane missed from the penalty spot.

The third goal came on 17 minutes with Ferguson lobbing Armagh keeper Paul Rice.

Ferguson's hat-trick goal came on 65 minutes as he headed in at the far post from Oran Kearney's cross.

McShane then sent his penalty wide on 67 minutes but Armagh did concede a fifth when Thompson headed in from a Jim Ervin pass.