The Sky Blues - looking to bounce back from their midweek cup disappointment - moved in front after barely four minutes when Kevin Kelbie got a touch to a Garth Scates corner to turn the ball past John Connolly.

Cliftonville might have levelled soon after through a David McAlinden spot-kick awarded following a Craig McClean foul on Chris Scannell only for United 'keeper Paul Murphy to save well.

However the Reds eventually did equalise on 32 minutes when Declan O'Hara turned a Murphy corner home at the fat post.

And they took the lead in the 59th minute in what was arguably the turning point of the game.

United midfielder Mark Picking looked certain to score after finding himself clear only for Ronan Scannell to produce a superb last ditch tackle from which he managed to find Murphy who, in turn, set George McMullan free to leave the ball back for Mark Holland to make it 2-1.

The game took another twist, though, with 15 minutes remaining when it was United's turn to level when a Connolly clearance took a ricohet off Thomas Wray and back into the net.

But the real drama was reserved until those closing few seconds when Murphy delivered a low drive from the edge of the area which took a cruel bounce just as the 'keeper was about to gather and subsequently slipped from his grasp.