Glentoran 0-3 Crusaders
Rodney Brown was the unlikely hero for Crusaders as the left back scored a brace of headers to help his side beat Glentoran 3-0 at the Oval.
Jordan Owens added the third in a comprehensive victory which moved Crusaders into third place on goal difference.
The visitors controlled the game with ease, regularly finding time and space to keep Glentoran keeper Elliot Morris busy. Owens fired over with less than a minute on the clock, and also had an early header ruled out for offside.
The inevitable opener came in the 11th minute after Michael Carvill played a short corner and received the return pass before whipping a cross to the near post. Rodney Brown ghosted between 2 Glentoran defenders to steal a yard and guide home a header.
Crusaders continued to dominate after their goal, with Paul Heatley having a couple of efforts from distance which failed to test Morris.
With only 35 minutes on the clock Glentoran looked like a team that were hanging on, and the east Belfast side were fortunate not to fall further behind as visiting winger Gavin Whyte cracked the underside of the bar from 25 yards.
Billy Joe Burns then drew a save from Morris, and Whyte struck wide as the visitors continued to rack up the chances with the first half drawing to a close.
One minute before the break, Glentoran notched up their first effort of the half as Curtis Allen volleyed over from outside the box – but there was still time for Crusaders attacker Heatley to hit two more harmless efforts from distance.
Just 2 minutes into the 2nd half, Heatley had another shot which was deflected wide, and the resulting corner ended with the next goal for Crusaders.
This time Carvill’s delivery was cleared, but it was fired back in his direction, leaving him in space to cross the ball back into the box where it was again met by Brown, who connected with a flying header to make it 2-0 in the 48th minute.
By the 55th, Crusaders were in total control as Burns’ superb cross from the right was steered into the net by a precise Owens’ header to make it 3-0.
Glentoran’s night was perhaps summed up in one moment, as a 70th minute chance dropped to the feet of McDaid – but he swung a leg and missed the ball entirely.