Crusaders claimed their first points of the Irish Premiership season as they came from behind to beat Ballymena United 2-1 at Seaview.
Ballymena took the lead from the first meaningful attack of the game on 10 minutes after the hosts failed to clear the ball inside their penalty area.
Defender Kurtis Forsythe made a good initial block but Ballymena reacted quickest to the loose ball, with Igor Rutkowski steering a shot into the bottom corner of the net.
But the home side began to get a foothold in the game and they levelled on 27 minutes when Owen Wardell burst to the bye-line and fizzed in a low centre which ended up in the net via a deflection off Ballymena defender Daithi McCallion.
The home side went in front three minutes before the interval as Elliot Dunlop crossed from the left with Adam Brooks laying the ball into the path with Wardell neatly steering a left-footed shot past David Walsh from 14 yards.
Crusaders came close to a third with a counter-attack from a Ballymena corner with Dunlop sending Wardell through on goal but as he attempted to lob the advancing Walsh, the Ballymena keeper got enough of a fingertip on it to keep the effort out.
At the other end, Success Edogun came close to an equaliser for Ballymena with a fierce shot which was saved by the legs of Crusaders keeper Shea Callister.
The visitors threatened again as Rutkowski's spectacular overhead kick from Chris McKee's cross whistled inches over the crossbar.
There was a controversial ending to the game as Ballymena believed they had equalised in the final minute when Chris McKee smashed the ball into the roof of the net following a corner but as the players returned to the centre circle to re-start, referee Niall Devlin ruled the effort out.
