GOALS from Chris Morrow and David Rainey helped Crusaders to victory over Glentoran at Seaview.

The Glens might have moved in front inside the opening five minutes after Leon Knight blasted the ball home only for referee Raymond Hetherington to claim the diminutive striker handled the ball as he controlled it.

At the other end the Crues were denied by a goalline clearance while Rainey headed just over.

Stephen Carson then came close for Glentoran just before the half-hour mark - but his finish from a Knight cross was cleared off the line by David Magowan.

The Crues eventually found a way through on 56 minutes courtesy of a Morrow downward header from a Stephen McBride free-kick.

And they had a scare as the game moved into the final stages when 'keeper Sean O'Neill upended Andy Waterworth but despite vociferous penalty claims from the visitors the referee allowed play to continue.

Then, on 83 minutes, substitute Jordan Owens had a great opportunity from a Morrow cross to secure the points only to somehow squander the opening.

But Rainey did settle things for the Crues a minute into stoppage time when he made the most of a defensive error to lift the ball over Elliott Morris.

Crusaders: O'Neill, McBride, Leeman, Magowan, Coates, Morrow, Adamson, Rainey, Caddell, Dallas, McMaster subs McCann (not used), Gargan (not used), Owens (replaced Adamson 78), Gibson (not used), Snoddy (not used)

Glentoran: Morris, Nixon, Clarke, Ward, Waterworth, Carson, E. Murray, Hill, Callacher, Birney, Knight subs O'Kane (not used), M. Murray (replaed Knight 72), Martyn (replaced Callacher 72), Boyce (not used), Gibson (replaced Hill 88)

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• Andy Waterworth and Stephen McBride (Picture: Russell Pritchard/PressEye.com)