It was the visitors, though, who almost opened the scoring after just ten minutes when Stephen Shaw let fly with a free-kick which Reds keeper John Connolly did well to tip onto the bar.

However it was Cliftonville who edged in front on 23 minutes through David McAlinden who hooked the ball past Neil Armstrong after a Chris Scannell effort was deflected into his path.

But it was a short-lived lead when Crusaders levelled barely two minutes later after Shaw made the most of some poor marking to direct a header home.

That was how it stayed until five minutes into the second half when George McMullan restored the home advantage with a thundering 30-yard drive which gave Armstrong no chance.

And two minutes after the hour it was 3-1 after McAlinden headed home at the far post from a McMullan cross.

The Crues dragged themselves back into the reckoning two minutes later, though, when Barry Spence converted a spot-kick awarded for a foul on Anto Crawford.

However a frenetic period was capped six minutes after that when Chris Scannell added a fourth for the home side when he held off a challenge from Stephen McBride to slide the ball under the keeper to complete the scoring.