Cliftonville 2-3 Crusaders
Crusaders came from behind to beat Cliftonville in a frantic North Belfast derby that ended 3-2.
In the 28th minute, a low ball was turned into the Cliftonville box which fell to the feet of Forsythe. He drilled a shot from around 8 yards out, and although his effort was saved by Mooney, he could only push the ball back into the danger zone. Reds defenders tried to clear their lines, but Carvill was on point to bundle the ball over the line.
Minutes later Mooney saved an Owens header at the back post but it proved to be his final involvement, as he was injured in the process and replaced by Peter Burke.
The sub keeper soon had to collect the ball from the back of his net, but Owensâ back post header from Heatleyâs cross was ruled offside.
3 minutes before the interval the home side went close. Garrett turned and shot for the bottom corner but Howard Beverland managed to get a touch to send it wide.
The home side werenât as wasteful with their next chance, and pulled level at the end of the first half. Left fullback Levi Ives rounded off a flowing team move as he turned up on the overlap to meet Donnellyâs pass and fire into the far corner to level things.
It was a tidy finish by the defender, but it had nothing on his second of the game.
Cliftonville put the visitors under pressure immediately into the 2nd half, and although Beverland headed a cross clear, it fell to Ives on the far corner of the box in what seemed a harmless position. However, Ives caught it first time with a vicious left footed volley from 20 yards which whistled into the top corner with a slight deflection off Billy Joe Burns.
As the game appeared to be passing them by, Crusaders pulled level in the 63rd minute. The champions worked space down the left, and Heatley whipped a ball into the box which was met by the head of Owens to level things at 2-all.
Less than 4 minutes later, Crusaders were in front. From the right hand side, Billy Joe Burns launched a superb cross from distance which cut diagonally to the far post, and Owens thumped a header past Burke to score in front of the traveling fans.
Crusaders captain Sean O'Neill pulled off a hugely important double save in the 82nd minute, twice turning away close range shots from Cliftonville sub Reynolds. The keeper made 3 vital points safe with another big save at the death.