Linfield 3 Crusaders 2: Devine intervention as Blues snatch crucial victory at Windsor

Ethan Devine secured a massive three points for Linfield with a last gasp winner in a five goal thriller with Crusaders at Windsor Park.

With only 51 seconds of stoppage time left the 21-year old substitute rose to head a Jordan Stewart corner in off the upright.

It was a crucial intervention from Devine who has scored three goals in nine games since joining the Blues from Knockbreda in January.

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And it was a vital result in the title race as David Healy’s men marched four points clear of the chasing pack at the league summit.

Crusaders, who were lively throughout, had twice hit back through Johnny McMurray and Ben Kennedy after Chris McKee and Chris Shields gave the Blues 1-0 and 2-1 leads.

But with time running out Devine grabbed the headlines just 15 minutes after coming on as a replacement for fellow goalscorer McKee.

Linfield were ahead in the 20th minute when on-loan Rangers striker McKee raced onto Ahmed Salam’s through ball to slot a clinical shot past Jonny Tuffey.

But the Crues were level four minutes later when McMurray, making his first league start since October, pounced for only his third goal of the season.

Latching onto Forsythe’s long ball, the striker held off Ben Hall to feather a superb lob over Blues keeper Chris Johns.

It was a superb finish from McMurray, who joined the Crues from Larne last summer, and a reminder of the 27-year-old’s instinctive qualities in front of goal.

Linfield were back in front in contentious circumstances on the brink of half-time when Robbie Weir was adjudged to have handled inside the area.

Television replays suggested Weir’s arm was firmly tucked into his body when Kirk Millar’s shot