Ballymena’s high five too hot for brave Welders

BALLYMENA United completed the quarter-final line-up in the Toals County Antrim Shield as they overwhelmed Harland & Wolff Welders at the Showgrounds last night.

The original tie had been postponed last month due to the effects of Storm Ali, and on this occasion Ballymena put the outcome beyond doubt with a whirlwind start to the second half, scoring three goals inside 10 minutes.

The sides’ previous meeting in the League Cup seven days earlier had been settled by Jude Winchester’s injury time strike for Ballymena, and it looked as though the senior side would have to be similarly patient as their neat build-up play was repeatedly repelled by a welldrilled Welders defence in the first 45 minutes.

The Welders’ first chance came on 32 minutes after Kofi Balmer brought down David Graham on the edge of the Ballymena penalty area, and the striker picked himself up to curl the resultant free kick narrowly past the post.

Ballymena grabbed the lead on 36 minutes as full-back Reece Glendinning came inside off the right flank to collect an Adam Lecky lay-off before advancing a few steps and curling a left-footed shot beyond Anderson.

Remarkably, the same player should have doubled his and Ballymena’s account on 40 minutes when he found himself in the penalty area as Jonny Addis somehow kept a United attack alive, but Glendinning’s poked effort was blocked by the legs of Matthew Anderson.

On 49 minutes, James Knowles’ shot took a fortuitous deflection off a Welders defender, straight into the path of Lecky who produced an assured finish into the top corner.

Within two minutes it was 3-0 as Leroy Millar nicked in ahead of Anderson in the penalty area and was brought down, Tony Kane tucking home the spot kick.

It became 4-0 on 59 minutes as Cathair Friel’s pass was neatly controlled by Knowles, who then almost nonchalantly side-footed a shot through a ruck of players into the far corner.

Ballymena completed the scoring on 77 minutes when Lecky glanced home a header from a pinpoint Kane cross, with the striker denied a hat-trick when his late effort was called offside. BALLYMENA UNITED: Ro Glendinning, Re Glendinning, Addis, Whiteside, Balmer (Burns, 74 mins), Quigley, Kane, Knowles (Nolan, 72 mins), Millar, Friel (Mayse, 72 mins), Lecky.

Subs not used:

McGrory, Ervin.

H&W WELDERS: Anderson, Hamill, Armstrong, McMillan, Spence, Dornan (Bolton, 66 mins), O’Mahony (McIlmail, 81 mins), Harris, Graham, Gwiazda (Arthurs, 46 mins), Deans.

Subs not used: Irwin, Stockman.

Referee: Tony Clarke (Newtownabbey).

McCauley, Faulkner, Big impact: Tony Kane hails scorer Reece Glendinning