Institute boss Sean Connor upbeat after Crusaders loss

Having secured a point at Seaview earlier in the season, 'Stute went into the game looking for another positive result and on another day, they may have secured at least a share of the spoils.

After getting off to the best of starts thanks to Conor Tourish breaking the deadlock inside two minutes, second half strikes from Philip Lowry and Paul Heatley, saw Stephen Baxter's men come from behind, to secure their first win in six games.

"If we perform like that between now and the end of the season, we'll pick up more points," stated Connor.

"I thought our intensity was good, our shape was really good in the first half and that's the sign of how well we played."

Connor was bitterly disappointed with the defeat, which is now their 20th in the league this season and felt his players can take positives from the game going into next week's home clash against in-form Cliftonville.

"We are all in there gutted that we haven't picked up at least a point," added the 'Stute boss. "This is the second time we have come here this season and really put it up to them.

"Of course you don't want to lose the game but if you are beat, you want to take some positives out of the game and we have plenty of positives to take out of that game."

Assistant manager Jeff Spiers was happy with how Crusaders responded after Tourish's early opener.

"It was hard-fought. They scored in the first minute and it took us 45 minutes to get going. The players were big enough to say we weren't in the game, they weren't doing things right, things weren't working," stated Spiers.

"We brought Jordan Owens on and he changed the game for us. Jordan came on and won a lot of headers and we got up the pitch another 10 or 15 yards and that made it easier for us."