Crusaders 5-2 Glentoran

A ruthless Crusaders blew away Glentoran with a superb second half display as they ran out 5-2 winners at Seaview.

The home side took the lead with their first venture forward which came in the 9th minute. Ross Clarke broke well down the right and fizzed a cross to the back post where Jordan Owens got up above 2 defenders and thumped a trademark header beyond the keeper.

The first half bore few great chances, with the visitors' best opportunity of the opening 45 falling kindly for Paul O'Neill, but he steered his effort over the bar.

The game picked up immensely after the break, and less than a minute into the second half Paul Heatley doubled the Crusaders lead with an unstoppable strike from distance.

The winger cut in from the left, skipped past a defender, and lashed a 25-yard-shot into the far corner.

By the hour, Crusaders were running away with it. Declan Caddell flicked the ball into the path of Owens, and his shot was blocked by Patrick McClean, with the ref judging that the defender had used his arm.

BJ Burns, playing at left-back, stepped up to hammer the penalty past Marijan Antolovic to make it 3-0.

However, just 5 minutes later the Glens pulled a goal back.

Free-kick specialist Hrvoje Plum cracked the post with an effort from 25 yards, and John Herron was well positioned to volley the rebound into the top corner.

90 seconds later, the midfielder had a header cleared off the line as the visitors threw everything forward as they tried to claw their way back into the game.

But by the 77th minute, the Glentoran fans were heading for the exits after Owens slammed home his second goal of the afternoon, hammering in from close range after being teed up perfectly again by Clarke.

The winger then rounded off a superb afternoon by rifling in a low 20-yard effort that tore into the bottom corner in the 82nd minute.

Plum pulled back another goal for the Glens in added time, steering a powerful 20-yard free kick into the bottom corner.