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Figures of late

Cliftonville 1-1 Crusaders

For the third time this season, Cliftonville were denied a North Belfast Derby victory by a late Crusaders equaliser as David Cushley’s 94th minute finish rescued a point for the visitors at Solitude this evening.

Returning Reds fans had to wait just three minutes before celebrating a goal as Daire O’Connor’s eye-catching finish got the occasion off to the perfect start but, after seeing a host of late chances go to waste, Cliftonville were punished when Cushley pounced to level in the closing seconds.

The hosts made a bright start with Chris Curran stinging the palms of goalkeeper Neil Shields before the deadlock was broken from the resulting corner.

O’Connor had shaped up as though he was going to crack a first-time volley goalward but instead took a touch inside before producing a cool finish in front of supporters at the Bowling Green End.

Fans in the opposite McAlery Stand were, meanwhile, angered by referee Tim Marshall’s decision to flash yellow cards in the direction of both Jamie Harney and Billy Joe Burns after clearly seeing the Crusaders defender kicking out at the Reds centre-half after he had done well to head a corner delivery clear.

Soon later, Shields got down to field an O’Connor drive before a cross by the same player fell for Levi Ives at the back post and his first-time effort was hacked away from the line by Daniel Larmour.

Cushley twice tried his luck after the turnaround; blazing one strike out of the ground before going close with a smart touch, turn and volley with 17 minutes remaining.

Cliftonville went in search of the second goal that would seal victory but found Shields in superb form. After getting out to deny O’Connor finishing from Aaron Donnelly’s dinked free-kick, he got down well to beat a Rory Hale effort out and also saved from Paul O’Neill just as the game ticked into injury-time.

Even so, the Reds appeared to have done enough to secure maximum points only to suffer familiar derby frustration when, with virtually the last touch of the match, Cushley finished things off in a goalmouth scramble to deny Cliftonville the win that would have kept their hopes of a fourth-place finish alive going into the Premiership’s final weekend.

Cliftonville: McCarey, Ives, Harney (Doherty, 61 mins), C Curran, O’Connor (O’Neill, 89 mins), McCrudden (R Curran, 71 mins), Foster, Donnelly, Bagnall, Hale, Lowe. Unused subs: Dunne, Casey, Kearns, Coffey.