They only needed four minutes to open the scoring when Jeff Spiers failed to clear the ball allowing Gary McCutcheon to steal in to slot home in off an upright.

And another defensive error ten minutes later almost allowed McCutcheon to double his tally while, on 21 minutes, Allan Smart nearly pounced when Crues keeper Neil Armstrong dropped a Henry McStay cross.

However Smart did get his name on the scoresheet after 34 minutes when after he teamed up with McCutcheon to tear the visiting defence apart.

His joy was short-lived though. Just three minutes later he was dismissed for a foul on Colin Coates while soon after referee Brian Turkington awarded Crusaders a penalty when he adjudged Henry McStay was guilty of a handball offence.

Unfortunately for the visitors, though, Darren Stirling's spot-kick was well saved by Michael Dougherty who correctly dived to his left.

Stephen Shaw was denied with a long range effort three minutes after the break as the Crues pushed to salvage something while just after the hour Dougherty proved their nemisis again when he blocked a Raymond Campbell free-kick.