Jay Donnelly’s 22nd and 23rd goals of a prolific season kept Glentoran in the title slipstream of Big Two rivals Linfield at the top of the Premiership.
Trailing to a stunning opener from Cliftonville winger Jay McDonagh, Donnelly turned tonight’s Sky Sports showdown on its head with two clinical finishes either side of the break.
The 26-year-old, who has now scored 10 goals in his last eight league outings, equalised with a glancing finish from a Rhys Marshall cross in the 45th minute.
And he made it 2-1 from a Hrvoje Plum corner in the 50th, although Reds boss Paddy McLaughlin may well wonder how he was gifted a free header inside the six yard box.
Victory saw the Glens climb above Cliftonville and up to second in the table, just three points behind David Healy’s Blues with 16 games to play.
Former Glens man McDonagh had Cliftonville ahead in the fifth minute, curling a stunning effort from almost 30 yards out past the despairing dive of Aaron McCarey.
McDonagh was playing like a man possessed against his former club and threatened to add to his tally soon after only for McCarey to palm his rising shot over the bar.
The Glens, bidding to bounce back from a 3-2 defeat to Larne in their last league outing on New Year’s Day, were bossing the possession stats.
But the visitors were finding the Reds backline, with four clean sheets in their previous five outings, in a miserly mood prior to Donnelly’s intervention.
It was 1-1 with virtually the last kick of the first half. Robbie McDaid released Marshall and he crossed for Donnelly to produce a glancing finish at the near post.
The in-form striker had no right to score, but everything he touches turns to goals these days, the ball crashing in off the far post.
The Glens began the second period on the front foot and Luke McNicholas had to produce two stunning saves to deny Sean Murray and Patrick McClean.
The Reds No1 parried former Watford midfielder Murray’s drive from distance and also got a hand to McClean’s header from Hrvoje Plum’s resulting corner.
There was little he could do when the Glens took the lead in the 50th minute, Donnelly rising to plant a free header from another Plum corner into the net from close range.
Cliftonville went close to an equaliser on the hour mark, but Kris Lowe blazed over after both Ronan Doherty and McDonagh had shots blocked inside a crowded area.
McCarey also produced a stunning save to deny Kris Lowe an equaliser for the Reds, before the Glens should have wrapped it up in a three-on-one break in the 90th minute.
Michael O’Connor sent Seanan Clucas racing clear but the midfielder’s shot fizzed over the crossbar.
