A win would have sent Paul Millar's side eight points clear whereas victory for the Blues would have saw them move within touching distance of the summit but, from a neutral perspective, this draw will keep the Gibson Cup race bubbling over for some time yet following victories elsewhere for Cliftonville and Portadown.

Linfield drew first blood with the opening goal on 17 minutes courtesy of a Glenn Ferguson back post header.

Paul McAreavey collected the ball from Aidan O'Kane and progressed into the box before floating over the decisive cross for 'Spike' to notch up his 16th goal of the season.

The Glens were back on level terms, however, just two minutes from the break when Gary Hamilton beat Alan Mannus from eight yards after referee Adrian McCourt brushed away penalty appeals when Sean Ward fell inside the box.

And Hamilton might have given the visitors the lead seven minutes into the second half but he finished poorly with the goal at his mercy while not long after Pat McShabe cleared a Peter McCann effort off the line.

At the other end McAreavey perhaps came close with a 20-yard drive on 57 minutes which drifted just past the base of the left upright before, on 71 minutes, Peter Thompson actually had the ball in the net only for the match official to rule it out for a foul on Elliott Morris.