Ballymena United moved into the top half of the Irish Premiership table after coming from behind to beat Crusaders 2-1 at the Showgrounds.

The visitors made the best possible with a goal inside the opening 45 seconds when defender Jacob Blaney scored from close range.

Ballymena levelled inside 12 minutes thanks to Josh Archer's deflected shot.

Kodi Lyons-Foster nodded home the winning goal in the second period for Ballymena as Crusaders recorded a sixth defeat in their last eight league games.

Crusaders went in front inside the opening 45 seconds as Thomas Maguire's long throw was flicked into the penalty area where Donal Rocks' header came back off the crossbar and Jacob Blaney was first to react to poke the ball home from close range.

But Ballymena were level on 12 minutes when Josh Archer intercepted Scot Rough's pass just outside his own penalty area.

The midfielder drove forward and his shot took enough of a deflection off the outstretched boot of Robbie Weir to take it beyond the reach of goalkeeper Shea Callister.

Both sides looked bright in the opening period but struggled to seriously test either keeper with Aaron Reid firing a snap-shot on the turn wide for the visitors.

Ballymena started the second period with purpose and came close when Charlie Allen's deflected shot clipped the top of the crossbar on its way over.

And Allen was involved as Ballymena went in front nine minutes into the second period when the former Linfield player chipped up a cross to the back post where central defender Kodi Lyons-Foster was on hand to nod home from close range.

Chances remained at a premium in the second half with Igor Rutkowski's effort from an Allen cross unable to beat Callister but Ballymena held on for the victory.

Ballymena United boss Oran Kearney: "I don't think you could start any worse – 45 seconds gone and you're thinking 'what a start'.

"But I praised the lads at half-time and again at the end because I thought our response was brilliant. It can shake any team something like that happening so early but I thought the manner of how we got about our business straight away was really good.

"I felt in the last 10 minutes there was a level of calmness about us. Yes, there's always going to be a bit of chaos but I thought everyone stepped up to the mark. Mentally today, we were bang on it.

Crusaders manager Declan Caddell: "A goal after a minute, a dream start and we never played since it.

"I thought we were poor today, decision making poor, I thought we looked leggy. Week after week we are giving teams a lift into games that they probably don't deserve. It allowed Ballymena to push on and after that they were the better side, there's no getting away from it.

"I was well aware we were going to have a patch like this and it's up to us to navigate it like we did last season. There's no panic stations but there's a lot to build on."