Crusaders defeated Linfield at Windsor Park in the White Ribbon NI Charity Shield to claim the season curtain raiser for the first time in club history.

The Crues had finished runners-up in their previous two outings but two second half goals saw them emerge victorious at the third attempt.

A somewhat cagey beginning saw the sides size each other up with few clear cut efforts created during the opening exchanges.

Indeed, it took until around a quarter-of-an-hour for Ethan Devine to craft the first opportunity with a glancing header wide from Chris McKee's cross.

At the other end Daniel Larmour ambitiously tried to catch Blues keeper David Walsh off his line while Philip Lowry nodded over from Ben Kennedy's free-kick who then tested Walsh from distance.

Linfield might have found a way through close to the break with Kirk Millar sending a 20-yard free-kick over before being involved in a one-two with Joel Cooper only for Johnny Tuffey to deal with the threat.

The sides traded chances early in the second half. Dean Ebbe sent a backheel just wide of the upright while Andrew Clarke was thwarted by a fingertip Tuffey save.

Cooper had a couple of chances for the Blues around the hour mark but two goals in quick succession midway through the second half tipped the balance firmly in favour of the Crues.

Chris Shields cleared off the line after Ross Clarke burst through on 65 minutes but, just a couple of minutes after that, substitute Paul Heatley fired Stephen Baxter's side in front with a superb curling strike into the top corner from just inside the area.

Then, four minutes later, Heatley laid the ball off for summer signing Rory McKeown to beat Walsh from close range.

Linfield: Walsh, Newberry, Millar, Cooper, Stewart, McKee, Devine, Pepper, Quinn, A. Clarke, Palmer subs Johns (not used), Shields (replaced Quinn 22), M. Clarke (replaced McKee 67), McClean (replaced Palmer 67), Mulgrew (replaced A. Clarke 67), Vertainen (replaced Devine 67), Archer (not used)

Crusaders: Tuffey, Burns, Robinson, Weir, Lowry, Kennedy, Lecky, Ebbe, Larmour, McKeown, McMurray subs Hegarty (replaced Robinson 88), Forsythe (replaced Burns 46), O'Rourke (not used), Winchester (replaced Weir 46), Heatley (replaced McMurray 65), Clarke (replaced Lecky 58), Pauley (not used)