United should have had a commanding lead by the break only for Reds 'keeper Paul McKane to produce two outstanding stops to deny the visitors.

Noel Anderson had the first effort of note when his powerful header from a David Cushley corner was pushed away by the 'keeper while, just after the half-hour mark, Anderson was again denied when McKane stopped his shot from a Michael Smith cross with George McMullan scrambling the loose ball around the post.

Cliftonville came closest through Chris Scannell but Dwayne Nelson did well to hold onto his effort.

The Reds came out all guns blazing after the break. Ciaran Caldwell fired a volley over the bar three minutes in while Scannell threatened again but nodded just wide.

However, the deadlock was broken on 68 minutes when an Andy Smith cross from the right was knocked back across goal and over the line by McConnell.

And Smith went one better a couple of minutes later after collecting the ball from Cushley, taking it past a defender and firing past McKane into the opposite corner.