Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SHOT AT GRORY
Andy hits a hat-trick as Sky Blues turn up title pressure on Linfield
HAT-TRICK hero Andy Mcgrory is urging Ballymena United to turn their Warden Street home into a fortress as the title climax looms large.
Mcgrory bagged his first ever senior treble, inset, as the Sky Blues stormed past 10-man Coleraine on Saturday in what was their penultimate away game of the season.
Of their remaining eight Premiership fixtures, only one trip away from the Showgrounds remains – a post-split date with Paddy Mclaughlin’s Cliftonville at Solitude.
Before the split, David Jeffrey’s men face three successive home games against Glentoran, Institute and Warrenpoint Town and Mcgrory is keen to cash in.
“We’ve got to build on this result,” he said. “There’s no point going to Coleraine and winning 4-0 and not doing the business again this weekend.
“We have a run of games at the Showgrounds and we know we have to try and win all our home games.”
Mcgrory headed the opener after Coleraine were reduced to 10 men in the 27th minute when Gareth Mclaughlin was red carded for a last man challenge on Johnny Mcmurray.
And it was 2-0 five minutes later in contentious circumstances after Kofi
Balmer’s cross was diverted into his own net by
Dylan King.
Coleraine keeper Chris Johns was convinced he had clawed the ball off the line, but the goal was awarded after referee Evan Boyce consulted with his assistant.
Mcgrory swept home from a Mcmurray knockdown for 3-0 at the start of the second-half before the makeshift midfielder completed his hat-trick late on.
“I’ve been about the league for about nine years, so it was a long time coming,” said Mcgrory, who insists all title talk is banned from the Ballymena changing room. Saturday’s victory closed the gap on leaders Linfield, who lost 2-0 at Glenavon on Friday night, to six points with a game in hand. “Nobody expected us to be where we are, but anyone who knows David Jeffrey knows that any talk like that is banished from our dressing room,” he said.
“We’re not really looking at the race or chasing Linfield down, it’s not really what we’re at.
“Our aim at the start of the season was to cement top six and to get a crack at Europe.
“David has taken the pressure off us and in my eyes it’s still in Linfield’s hands. Our only focus is on looking after our own results and it’s not about chasing Linfield down.”
Coleraine boss Rodney Mcaree branded Mcconaghie’s red card a turning point and was incensed the referee’s assistant ruled King’s own goal to have crossed the line.
“The sending off killed us,” he said. “I’ve also had a look a the second goal and not one person in the stadium, including Ballymena players, were appealing for a goal.”