League positions were ignored and the form book ripped up on an afternoon of late drama across the Sports Direct Premiership which brought defeat for the sides starting the day in the top four.

Much attention was focused on the meeting between Linfield and Cliftonville at Windsor Park.

League leaders Linfield moved grabbed early control of the game when, on 16 minutes, Matthew Fitzpatrick made no mistake in front of goal after the Reds failed to clear a corner.

It was a lead the Blues looked to have held onto until the final ten minutes when Ryan Curran and Ryan Corrigan turned the game on its head to earn Jim Magilton’s side the points.

Curran bundled the equaliser over the line at the far post on 80 minutes after Ruadhri Donnelly headed across the face of goal before, a few minutes after that, 17-year-old Corrigan knocked home the winner after a corner had been sent into the box.

Ballymena United remain second, but they slipped to a second successive defeat after going down to a Kieran Offord goal away to Crusaders.

The Crues looked the better proposition throughout but it took a spectacular effort from Offord on 64 minutes to settle the game when he connected with Ross Clarke’s right-sided cross to beat Sean O’Neill at the far post.

Dungannon Swifts started the day in third spot, but they squandered the chance to capitalise after going down 3-1 at home to bottom of the table Loughgall.

The Swifts even led at the break when, just on the half-hour mark, Andrew Mitchell opened the scoring from close range from Thomas Maguire’s lay-off.

But the Villagers hit back with two goals in quick succession early in the second half, and both of them though Ryan Waide.

He levelled on 57 minutes with a strong strike from the edge of box before finding the net again just a couple of minutes after that after receiving the ball from Jordan Gibson.

Robbie Norton then struck later in the half to make sure of the win with a great finish past the home keeper.

Two Matthew Shevlin goals midway through the second half saw Coleraine come from behind to defeat Glentoran at the Showgrounds.

Frankie Hvid had given the visitors a 20th minute lead when he headed home from Danny Amos’ free-kick, an advantage they held until Shevlin’s close range leveller on 72 minutes.

And he struck again within four minutes with a back post header from Dean Jarvis’ cross for what proved to be the winner.

Meanwhile, at Mourneview Park, ten-man Carrick Rangers were denied victory in a heart-stopping finale with Glenavon.

Stephen Baxter’s side were forced to play the entire second half a man down when keeper Ross Glendinning was sent-off moments from the break for handling outside the area.

But, with the game scoreless, the visitors looked to have grabbed all three points on 89 minutes when David Cushley stepped up to convert from the spot after Peter Campbell had handled in the box.

However, moments after that, David McDaid nodded past substitute keeper Ben McCauley – who had saved an earlier penalty – to cap a gripping conclusion to the afternoon!

The action continues on Sunday afternoon when Portadown welcome champions Larne to Shamrock Park, kick-off 2pm.