CHRIS Morrow almost opened the scoring for the visitors as early as the fourth minute only to send an effort against the woodwork.

And Celtic were thwarted by the fittings themselves after a quarter-of-an-hour when Johnny Harkness sent in a 25 yard free-kick.

This was followed by another Morrow effort against an upright before Stephen McBride also hit the crossbar.

But Stuart Dallas edged the Crues in front on 25 minutes.

He collected a David McMaster ball from the right before slotting the ball under the advancing Robert Robinson from ten yards out.

Remarkably, the bar was struck once again five minutes after that from a Jordan Owens header.

The second period proved to be much less frantic although DC did come close to grabbing the equaliser through both Eamon McAllister and Ryan Henderson.

However, substitute Timmy Adamson made sure of the points for the visitors with a drive from 10-yards on 80 minutes.

Donegal Celtic: Robinson, Harkness, P. Bradley, O'Hara, McAlorum, Henderson, D. Murray, McAllister, P. McVeigh, McNamee, Lynch subs Burns (not used), C. Murray (replaced Lynch 66), Gowdy (not used), Fay (not used), Muir (replaced P. Bradley 24)

Crusaders: O'Neill, McKeown, McBride, Leeman, Magowan, Morrow, Caddell, Dallas, McMaster, Rainey, J. Owens subs McCann (not used), Watson (replaced Rainey 65), Halliday (replaced Owens 81), Adamson (replaced McMaster 74), Hazley (not used)

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• Declan Caddell rises above Stephen McAlorum (Picture: Stephen Hamilton/PressEye.com)