Michael Halliday's winner seven minutes from time gave the Glens a 2-1 victory over Cliftonville at the Oval in front of the Sky Sports cameras with the focus in the battle for the Championship moving to Mourneview Park this afternoon where Linfield face Glenavon in their game in hand.

Whatever happens in Lurgan though the destination of the Gibson Cup won't be decided until the final day of the season next Saturday when Glentoran host Portadown and Linfield travel to Crusaders.

"We are level at the top of the Championship albeit for a few hours," said McDonald.

"We can only do what we've done and we've now put the pressure on Linfield and now it's up to them how they respond."

Last night Gary Hamilton scored a beauty early in the second half for the Glens with Kieran O'Connor levelling before Halliday came up with a priceless strike to take the title race all the way.

Halliday's late show takes title to the wire

Glentoran 2 Cliftonville 1

Michael Halliday last night kept Glentoran in the Irish Premier League title race and at the same time ensured that it will be the last day of the season before the destiny of the Gibson Cup will be sorted out.

On a night of late drama the man who scored Irish Cup winning goals in 2001 and 2004 popped up with another vital strike in the 83rd minute to give the Glens a crucial victory over Cliftonville.

Just three minutes before it looked like substitute goalkeeper Michael Dougherty's latest howler had handed Linfield the opportunity to win the league this afternoon away to Glenavon. He had replaced the injured Elliott Morris five minutes earlier and after he failed to deal with a right-wing corner the ball it crept over the line via the back of Kieran O'Connor's head.

Prior to that Cliftonville had rarely threatened the Glentoran goal, only giving the home side a scare on 70 minutes when Chris Scannell - who had been well marshalled by Paul Leeman and Sean Ward for most of the night - got free and found George McMullan with a great through ball, but he pulled his shot wide of the target, much to the relief of the nervy Glenmen in the stand.

Glentoran knew they needed to beat the Reds to maintain realistic hopes of becoming champions at the expense of Linfield, but they didn't perform like a team desperate for the points in the first-half of last night's live Sky Sports encounter and it looked like they might hand the title initiative to the Blues.

All that changed just two minutes into the second-half when Jamie McGovern - on the for the injured Colin Nixon after half an hour - sent in a cross from the right and waiting in the middle was Gary Hamilton who finished with a classy overhead kick from 10-yards out.

Alan McDonald's side are now level on points with Linfield at the top of the table, although the Blues have a superior goal difference and no matter what the Blues do away to Glenavon this afternoon they cannot clinch the Championship today.

Had the Glens dropped points last night the scenario would have been different, but while the Windsor Park men still have things in their own hands, the tightest title race for some years simply refuses to open up.

McDonald will now hope that the injury to Nixon, Morris and another to Hamilton, who left the pitch after the Cliftonville equaliser, will recover in time for next Saturday's showdown at the Oval with Portadown.

The Blues head to Seaview on the same day and it could come down to the Glens trying to outscore their cross city rivals if they are to wrestle away the title.

GLENTORAN: Morris, Nixon, Leeman, Ward, Hill, Scullion, Fordyce, McCabe, Neill, Halliday, Hamilton. Subs: DOugherty, BOyce, Fitzgeradl, McGovern, Steele.

CLIFTONVILLE: Connolly, Smyth, O'Hara, B Holland, R Scannell, M Holland, O'COnnor, Johnston, McMullan, C Scannell, Campbell. Subs: McKane, Fleming, Catney, O'Neill, Boyd.

Referee: Brian Turkington (Belfast).