Jordan Forsythe bags brace as Stephen Baxter hits magic Crusaders number

The victory keeps the Shore Road boys in the hunt for automatic European qualification.

Although the night belonged to Baxter, the longest-serving manager in world football, it was veteran midfielder Jordan Forsythe who stole the show by bagging two goals which helped extend his team's unbeaten run to 12 games.

Striker Michael McCrudden shot the Bannsiders into the lead with a well-taken penalty, but Forsythe's double and an opportunist strike from Philip Lowry - his 20th goal of the season - tilted the game in favour of the home side.

The usually lethal Lowry missed a great chance to give the Crues the lead after only two minutes when the midfielder met Ross Clarke’s cross only to head wide with no-one near him.

Coleraine had the ball in the net on 10 minutes. Andy Scott’s vision sent Matthew Shevlin through the middle and he walloped the ball into the top corner, only for referee Keith Kennedy to rule out the effort because of offside.

The action quickly switched to the other end when substitute Dean Ebbe, who had just replaced the injured Jarlath O’Rourke, picked up the pieces after Stephen O’Donnelly’s botched clearance, but he could only shoot over the crossbar.

McCrudden was then presented with a decent chance on 27 minutes when debutant full-back 16-year-old Senan Devine sent in an inviting cross, only for the little striker to flick his header wide.

But McCrudden had better luck seven minutes from time. The strong-running Scott was hauled down inside the box by Forsythe and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty kick. McCrudden stepped up to blast his effort past the diving Jonny Tuffey.

The Crues shot from the traps after the interval and were level on 51 minutes as Ebbe’s attempted flick at the near post following Clarke’s corner-kick appeared to come off the hand of Jack O’Mahony and, again, Kennedy pointed to the spot. Forsythe stepped up to make no mistake, lashing his effort into the top corner.

Baxter’s team then turned the game on its head by taking the lead on 65 minutes. Clarke was again the provider, whipping in a great delivery from the left which was flicked home by the head of Lowry.

And it was over as a contest 13 minutes from time – as Gareth Deane flapped at a Clarke corner-kick, leaving Forsythe with a simple tap in.

CRUSADERS: Tuffey, Burns, Robinson (Hegarty, 37), Weir, Lowry, Lecky (Owe ns, 85), Forsythe, O’Rourke ( Ebbe , 17), Winchester, McKeown, Clarke.

Subs (not used): Murphy, Stewart, Thompson, Boyd.

COLERAINE: Deane, Kane, McCrudden, Farren, O’Donnell, Lynch (Fyfe, 66), O’Mahony, McDermott, Shevlin, Scott, Devine.

Subs (not used): Gallagher, Mullan, Lowry, Carson, Doherty, Gaston.

REFEREE: Keith Halliday.

PREMIERSHIP RESULTS: Cliftonville 0 Larne 2, Carrick Rangers 2 Dungannon Swifts 0, Glenavon 3 Ballymena United 2, Portadown 0 Newry City 1.