REDS HIT BACK TO CLAIM STOPPAGE TIME POINT

Glentoran let slip a two-goal lead as Cliftonville grabbed a late, late equaliser to earn a point at the BetMcLean Oval.

Warren Feeney's side started in determined fashion, and might have raced into a commanding lead inside the opening ten minutes.

Daire O'Connor fashioned the first effort of note when he broke free to run onto a David Fisher through ball only to see his low shot saved by David Odumosu.

O'Connor threatened again moments later with a curling effort just past the far post before proving to be a danger once more with a powerful volley from the edge of the area.

Glentoran continued to look by far the most likely to find a way through with Junior sending an effort off target, as did Fisher followed by Jonny Russell.

Despite this, the Reds were the first to have the ball in the net but Ronan Hale's follow-up after Joe Gormley had struck an upright was ruled out offside.

The deadlock was finally broken seven minutes from the break, with Glentoran deservedly going in front after Bobby Burns' free-kick was nodded home at close range by Aidan Wilson.

Then, right at the end of the first half, Burns doubled the home advantage when he knocked the ball past Odumosu from the edge of the area.

Cliftonville responded positively after the break, pulling a goal back on 48 minutes after Hale was allowed the time and space to send a driven finish past Oliver Webber.

Fisher might have restored Glentoran's two-goal cushion with a free-kick that left Odumosu motionless only to fizz narrowly wide of the target while, at the other end, Hale came close to levelling with an attempt on goal straight at Webber after being teed up by Sam Ashford.

Shay McCartan might have settled the game beyond any doubt in stoppage time after breaking clear of the Reds defence and firing across Odumosu from the left side of the area only for the ball to sail past the far post.

But, in the last minute of added time, the visitors hit back to grab the equaliser when Hale turned provider to send the ball over for Odhran Casey to connect with his head and nod past Webber.

Glentoran: Webber, Kane, McCullough, Wilson, Burns, O'Connor, Sule, Clucas, Fisher, Russell, Uzokwe subs L. Donnelly, McCartan, J. Donnelly, Murphy, Kelly, Lindsay, Wightman

Cliftonville: Odumosu, Addis, Kenny, Rory Hale, Gordon, Doherty, Gormley, Casey, Ronan Hale, Kearney, McGuinness subs Donnelly, Pepper, Curran, Mallon, Burns, Ashford, Wilson