Reds earn dramatic comeback league win over Blues

Cliftonville clinched a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Irish Premiership leaders Linfield at Windsor Park as the top three sides in the league all suffered defeats on Saturday.

Matthew Fitzpatrick had Linfield ahead at half-time but there was drama late in the second half as Ryan Curran equalised and then fellow substitute Ryan Corrigan popped up with an 85th-minute winner.

The Reds' first league win over the Blues at Windsor Park since April 2018 condemned David Healy's side to a third home top flight loss in four games.

Kieran Offord's spectacular strike gave Crusaders a 1-0 win over second-placed Ballymena at Seaview.

Dungannon, who sit third, took a first-half lead against Loughgall thanks to Andy Mitchell, but the basement side battled back to win 3-1 at Stangmore Park courtesy of a quickfire Ryan Waide double and Robbie Norton.

The victory ended Loughgall's eight-match losing run.

Ten-man Carrick Rangers drew 1-1 away to Glenavon, David Cushley netting with one minute remaining but David McDaid levelled in stoppage time.

Ross Glendinning had been sent-off late in the first half.

Cliftonville made it two wins in a row by following up on their midweek victory over Coleraine as they sit fourth in the table, with Linfield remaining two points clear at the top.

The deadlock was broken on 16 minutes as the visitors failed to clear Kirk Millar's corner, with the ball eventually falling to Fitzpatrick who buried it from six yards out.

The visitors were on top for large portions of the game, but had their goalkeeper David Odumosu to thank for keeping them just a goal behind as he produced a super double-save to deny Fitzpatrick his second of the afternoon.

After being introduced just five minutes prior, Curran got on the end of fellow substitute Rory Donnelly's header across goal to draw the Reds level 10 minutes from time from point blank range.

Five minutes later and the visitors secured all three points as Corrigan pounced on a mistake by Chris Johns to fire home and give the Reds a well deserved win at Windsor Park.

Ballymena came close at Seaview inside the opening four minutes when Daithi McCallon’s long ball forward wasn’t dealt with by defender Lewis Barr and Ben Kennedy nipped in behind to bear down on goal but his effort was blocked by the chest of goalkeeper Jonny Tuffey.

Crusaders came within a whisker of scoring on eight minutes when Offord raced clear of the Ballymena defence and tried to beat Sean O’Neill at his near post but his shot cannoned off the base of the post and behind for a goal kick.

Ben Kennedy had a goal chalked off for offside before his through ball released Andy Scott whose fierce shot was turned behind by Tuffey.

The home side almost went ahead on the hour when Jacob Blaney stood up a cross to the back post but Harry Franklin’s firm header was tipped over by O’Neill and minutes later, Jarlath O’Rourke’s strike crashed off the crossbar.

With the home side starting to get on top, they eventually broke the deadlock on 64 minutes when Ross Clarke’s cross was fractionally behind Offord but the Scottish striker cleverly re-adjusted his body shape to find the corner of the net with an overhead kick.

Ballymena attempted to find an equaliser but Ethan Devine blazed a shot over with the last kick of the game as Crusaders held on to win.