Coleraine might have opened the scoring as early as the second minute when Marty Hunter smashed a right-foot shot off the crossbar.

However it was the visitors who moved in front after 27 minutes when a Stephen Coulter free-kick was knocked on by Gary Smyth for Stephen Hyndes to dispatch into the bottom corner of Davy O'Hare's goal.

The Bannsiders levelled five minutes later, though, with Carson's first of the afternoon, a free-kick from the edge of the area.

Crusaders regained the advantage on 42 minutes when Coulter headed home a Stephen McBride cross.

Carson made it 2-2 on the hour with a simple tap-in after Hunter beat 'keeper Aaron Kerr to a high ball.

But the Crues edged back in front on 78 minutes courtesy of a Seamus Brown close range effort before Carson earned a point for Coleraine a minute matter with a blast beyond Kerr.