A double from Ronan Hale in extra-time helped Cliftonville come from behind to beat Linfield 3-1 and win their first Irish Cup in 45 years.

Ethan McGee gave Linfield an early lead with a header from a corner before Sam Ashford equalised for the Reds in the second half of a pulsating game.

Hale struck in the first minute of extra-time and the last minute of extra-time to seal the comeback victory for the Reds in front of a sell-out crowd at Windsor Park.

The official attendance of 14,898 was the largest attendance at an Irish Cup final since Cliftonville's last victory in 1979.

Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew said in the build-up to the game that he hoped that winning the Irish Cup would soften the blow of losing out on the Irish Premiership title to Larne, and the Blues certainly started like a side out to prove a point.

Chris McKee and Joe Cooper forced David Odumosu into two early stops at a sold-out Windsor Park, which was a cacophony of noise.

They then deservedly made the breakthrough on 14 minutes as McGee darted in front of Shea Kearney and rose highest to head home from Kirk Millar's inviting free-kick from the right-hand side.

That was the first goal Cliftonville had conceded in this year's competition, and they seemed shell-shocked by it as they struggled to impose themselves on the game.

It continued to be one way traffic for Jim Magilton's side with Kyle McClean then testing Odumosu.

The Reds fashioned their first chance of the game on 25 minutes with their first real passage of play.

Sean Stewart fed Rory Hale, whose deep cross was inches away from finding Ashford at the back post.

Ronan Doherty then curled an effort well wide after another promising move.

Cliftonville's afternoon went from bad to worse however, when first-choice goalkeeper David Odumosu and centre back Odhran Casey both forced off with injuries before half-time.

The Reds came out with renewed intent in the second half, helped by the increased influence on the game from captain Rory Hale and they drew level seven minutes after the restart.

Ashford, who was preferred to Cliftonville's top scorer this season Ben Wilson and all-time record goal scorer Joe Gormley, glanced a header past Chris Johns from close range from Rory Hale's cross.

It was an end-to-end encounter after the equaliser, with both sides squandering good chances.

Rory Hale almost set up a second Cliftonville goal just after the hour mark as he found Jonny Addis with a deep free-kick, but the defender's header landed the wrong side of the far post.

He also had a volley from the edge of the box saved by Johns.

At the other end, Joel Cooper cut inside and saw his low drive whistle past the post with Gartside beaten.

Both teams tired as the game edged towards full-time, with neither wanting to make a costly error as they settled for extra-time.

The Reds then struck early in extra-time as substitute Wilson found Ronan Hale, who drove into the box and fired an unstoppable strike into the far corner.

With momentum in their favour, Ronan Hale went close to adding another for Cliftonville, but his low strike was deflected into the side netting by Ben Hall.

Linfield continued to search for an equaliser with Nathan Gartside thwarting Irish Premiership Player of the Year Kyle McClean and Jordan Stewart blazing over the crossbar.

As Linfield pilled forward in search of an equaliser from a corner, Cliftonville broke and Wilson found Hale, who walked home a third to seal the win, which provoked an outpouring of emotion from both players and supporters alike.

The celebrations 45 years in the making can now begin in north Belfast as the side of 2024 have written their name into Cliftonville folklore by ending the long Irish Cup drought.