LATE GOAL MOVES BLUES BACK TOP
Linfield grabbed a last gasp winner to get the better of Crusaders at Seaview and move to the top of the table, at least overnight.
The Blues got off to a determined start, creating a number of chances in the opening 20 minutes.
Matthew Fitzpatrick forced Jonny Tuffey into make a low save to keep out his shot from distance while, a little later, Daniel Finlayson saw an effort from the edge of the box fizz narrowly wide.
Kyle McClean then sent an effort wide but, on 32 minutes, the Blues deservedly moved in front through Joel Cooper after receiving the ball from Ethan McGee, shaking off the attentions of the home defence and firing into the bottom corner.
The Crues came close to levelling towards the break after Jordan Owens nodded the ball on for Ben Kennedy but he failed to find the target.
And Linfield could have doubled their advantage not long after that when Kirk Millar touched the ball on for Fitzpatrick only for Tuffey to make a great reaction save.
Crusaders did find their equaliser on 55 minutes, however, courtesy of Owens' bullet header into the top right corner after receiving the ball from Jordan Forsythe.
The home side threatened again after Kennedy beat Ben Hall to a loose ball but Chris Johns was alert to the danger.
Both camps traded chances with Millar firing just the wrong side of the top corner before play switched for Kennedy to see his shot from inside the box sail just over.
Stephen Baxter's side came close again but Daniel Larmour could only look on as his strike went just past the left post.
But, what proved to be the winner, came three minutes into added time when a Kyle McClean corner was nodded towards goal by Finlayson and over the line via a deflection off Tuffey.
Crusaders: Tuffey, Burns, Weir, Lowry, Kennedy, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Owens, Winchester, Larmour, Nixon subs Kerr, Joshua, Heatley, Donnelly, Boyd, Maguire, James
Linfield: Johns, Finlayson, Shields, Millar, McClean, Cooper, Hall, Clarke, Mulgrew, McGee, Fitzpatrick subs Walsh, McBrien, McKee, McCullough, Annett, Doherty, Graham
Substitution 
Substitution 
