Linfield boss David Healy is confident there’s a lot more to come from new boy Ethan Devine after the young striker's game-saving cameo at Solitude.
With time running out and Cliftonville leading 2-1, the 20-year-old rose to head a Matthew Clarke cross into the bottom corner to salvage a late point.
It was a classy finish and the supersub’s second goal in two games since joining the champions from Knockbreda earlier this month.
It also came just 24 hours after Devine starred for Linfield Swifts in a 5-2 win over Cliftonville’s second string at New Midgley Park.
“Ethan played an hour for the Swifts on Monday night,” said Healy. “He’s still catching up on minutes and being around the level we believe he can get to.
“But when he came on against Cliftonville, I thought he was a handful.
"He was big, he upset a couple (of defenders) and more importantly he scored an important goal for us.
“He’s still very young and also probably very inexperienced, but with the good pros he has in and around him, he’s only going to improve and that will help speed up his development.”
After spending a short spell with Cliftonville last season, Devine moved on to Championship club Knockbreda in the summer before securing a move to Linfield on January 3.
“Ethan has been at Cliftonville so he knows the rivalry there,” said Healy after Tuesday night's entertaining share of the spoils in North Belfast.
“I’m delighted for him. He’s a great young kid and the boys have really taken to him in the changing room.
“They want him to do well, they want him to learn but more importantly Ethan is also keen to learn and improve. Hopefully he proves to be a good addition to the team.”
Christy Manzinga and on-loan Rangers striker Chris McKee, who were on target in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Glenavon, both started against Cliftonville.
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But Healy believes Devine, who replaced McKee in the 69th minute, offers “something different” with his height and muscular frame.
“I do think Ethan brings something different to our other strikers,” he said. “Chris is probably more of a low centre of gravity player; a fox in the box type striker.
“Christy is off-the-cuff in terms of using his pace and power and sometimes being unpredictable while producing real quality.
“Andy Clarke has also played games and while I wouldn’t say Andy is an out-and-out centre forward, he gives you that option at times.
“Ethan gives us something a wee bit different to what we have and that’s a positive.”
On snatching a late 2-2 draw, a result that left Linfield a point clear of Glentoran and five above the Reds at the summit, Healy said: “It was a hard fought game and a good spectacle.
“We didn’t play as well as we can do and we conceded a soft goal after pulling it back to 1-1, but credit to the players for getting us back in the game.”
Linfield are next in action on Saturday when they face Coleraine at the Ballycastle Road Showgrounds.