Crusaders manager Declan Caddell was left frustrated after “total domination” of Loughgall didn’t ultimately produce three points, but can take some solace from the fact his side’s top-six Premiership fate still remains in their own hands.

Jordan Stewart put the hosts ahead with his first touch after being introduced off the bench and looked to have all but sealed a top-half berth, but Benji Magee capitalised on a late error to salvage a point for the Premiership’s bottom team.

Caddell’s men sit fifth on 47 points and know victory over Glentoran next weekend will be enough to seal a spot in the league’s top-half.

Essentially, two of Crusaders, Portadown, Coleraine and Cliftonville will likely make the cut and book a European play-off position, but Saturday’s draw was a missed opportunity for the Seaview outfit to make life simpler.

placeholder image — Crusaders manager Declan Caddell. (Photo by Inpho/Stephen Hamilton)

"We dominated the game for 90 minutes, total domination, and we gifted a team a goal with five minutes to go that were never in the game or really threatened us,” said Caddell. "When you go 1-0 up after taking a while to break them down, you expect game management and the players I have on that pitch to see the game through, but they didn’t do it today.

"It was schoolboy...it was one mistake in the whole game from us and it has cost us.

"It’s disappointing because from 1-11 I thought we were outstanding, really, really good and one mistake like that costs us three points.

"We must have had 15 or 20 corners, 15 or 20 shots and we’re just missing that clinical, cutting edge in the six-yard or 18-yard box today, really missing it.

"I thought Loughgall rode their luck at times too with them chances, but that’s football and we had enough quality there to convert our chances and we didn’t get out of sight.

"Ultimately when you don’t put your foot down when you have that dominance in a game to go a few goals up, that can always happen.”

Caddell’s Premiership reign at the Crues began with victory over Glentoran on the Irish League’s opening night and he knows a repeat of that result will complete a pre-season goal.

"You look at games throughout the season that could have went either way, this one is sore because of the performance we had,” he added. "There have been games this season we’ve deserved very little out of and we’ve managed to win, but today is one where we deserved three points by a long shot and didn’t get them.

"We now have to pick ourselves up. It’s still in our hands in terms of where we are in the league table, albeit it’s a tough fixture away to Glentoran, who are a good side with good players who can hurt you.

"We have to be at our best. Talk about creating chances, that’s a place you have to go and when you get those one, two or three chances you have to take them.”