HEATLEY MAGIC IS A WORTHY WINNER

CRUSADERS

Mcgonigle 43’, Heatley 46’

BALLYMENA UNITED

Mccready 12 2 1

BALLYMENA UNITED crashed to the fourth successive League defeat at Seaview, but manager David Jeffrey saluted the performance of his players.

Joe Mccready shot the Sky Blues into the lead before

Jamie Mcgonigle grabbed a bizarre equaliser, his cross caught in the wind which took it past flabbergasted goalkeeper Ross Glendinning.

Paul Heatley scored a spectacular scissors kick (above) after the restart to grab all three points for Crusaders.

“I have told my players they were magnificent,” said Jeffrey. “We had shots kicked off the line and also hit the woodwork. We should have had at least a point for our efforts.

“I’ve pleaded with the players not to get down on themselves. It was our fourth defeat on the bounce, yet in all of those games, we should have got something from them.”

Crues chief Stephen Baxter said: “Heatley’s movement to get into the box and his finish was fabulous. It was the one moment of magic in this game.”

CRUSADERS: Tuffey, Burns, Wilson, Weir, Lowry, Mcgonigle, Caddell, O’rourke, Owens, Heatley, Larmour subs Shields (not used), Hegarty (replaced Larmour 46), Kennedy (not used), Cushley (not used), Lecky (not used), Ruddy (not used), Mcginley (not used).

BALLYMENA UNITED: Glendinning, Redman, Knowles, Mcelroy, Waide, Hume, Ervin, Keeley, Kelly, Wylie, Mccready subs D. Graham (not used), Kane (not used), Mcgrory (not used), Keenan (not used), S. Graham (replaced Waide 73), Beattie (replaced Ervin 90), Mathieson (not used).