OWENS HANDS CRUES DERBY BRAGGING RIGHTS
Jordan Owens bagged the only goal of the game as Crusaders got the better of neighbours Cliftonville in the first North Belfast derby of the season at Seaview.
Owens struck on 71 minutes to secure the points for the Crues after getting on the end of a through ball to divert a header past Richard Brush despite Conor McDermott's best efforts at a goalline clearance.
Cliftonville might have edged into the lead with just under a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock when Conor McMenamin tested Sean O'Neill with a 25-yard drive which looked destined for the top corner while, moments later, Levi Ives' corner just missed McMenamin at the back post.
However, as the game progressed the Crues looked the more likely to find a way through.
Chris Hegarty nodded wide from Jordan Forsythe's free-kick, Declan Caddell glanced a header at Brush while Philip Lowry failed to make the most of a quick break before then volleying wide on the stroke of half-time.
Crusaders continued to enjoy possession into the second half as Jamie McGonigle and Rory Hale both produced stops from Brush, as did Caddell once more.
After falling behind Cliftonville made an effort at getting back on level terms. Chris Curran went on an impressive tackle evading run but ran out of the stream on the edge of the box, while Jamie Harney connected with an Aaron Donnelly free-kick but couldn't find the target.
But, right at the end, Heatley almost made it 2-0 after being played through by McGonigle with Brush doing well to turn the shot out for a corner.
Crusaders: O'Neill, Hegarty, Lowry, McGonigle, Caddell, Forsythe, Ruddy, Owens, Brown, Thompson, Heatley subs Doherty (not used), Kennedy (replaced Caddell 81), Hale (replaced Thompson 66), Cushley (not used), O'Rourke (not used), Lecky (replaced Owens 81), Burns (not used)
Cliftonville: Brush, McDermott, Ives, Breen, O'Reilly, C. Curran, R. Curran, McMenamin, Donnelly, Bagnall, Gormley subs Dunne (not used), Harney (replaced Breen 70), O'Connor (replaced McMenamin 51), McCrudden (replaced Ives 39), Foster (not used), Casey (not used), Maguire (not used)
Substitution 
Substitution 
