After a scoreless first half the Blues moved in front just 24 seconds after the restart when Peter Thompson collected the loose ball after Thomas Stewart had been dispossessed to beat Aaron Kerr with a left-foot shot from ten yards.

But the Crues levelled on 54 minutes through David Rainey. Strike partner Seamus Brown saw an initial effort parried by Alan Mannus but the ball fell for Rainey to slam home his 20th goal of the season.

Brown wasn't to be denied, however, on 77 minutes when he held off a challenge from Jim Ervin to beat Mannus with a composed effort from the edge of the area.

Linfield aren't the dominant team locally for nothing, though, and so they proved with two goals in the final four minutes - both of them from that man Ferguson.

He struck on 86 minutes with a header from a Mark Dickson corner which Oran Kearney had flicked on.

That was his 500th career goal and looked to have secured at least extra-time for the Blues.

But then, with just a minute of normal time left, he found the target again with a left foot drive into the roof of Kerr's goal to break the hearts of the plucky Crues.