United set to bid for survival in Play-off after gritty triumph

BALLYMENA UNITED 1

GLENAVON 0

BALLYMENA United all but ensured that they will not be sliding straight down the chute of automatic relegation to the Championship with a gritty 1-0 home win over Glenavon at The Showgrounds.

Ballymena came out of the traps fastest on Warden Street and had Glenavon pinned back on seven minutes with backto-back corners. The second of these was played short to Fraser Taylor, and there was a groan when his ball carried all the way to the back post, but the mood changed when Daithi Mccallion headed back across goal for Calvin Mccurry, who clinically volleyed home from close range.

That was the January signing from Ballyclare’s first goal in sky blue and he was on the hunt for more. He had a shot saved on 14 minutes by Mark Byrne in the Glenavon goal before another corner kick almost paid dividends for Jim Ervin’s men on 21 minutes when Mccurry pounced from Alex Gawne’s flick-on, however Byrne’s reactions were fast and kept the deficit at one.

Stephen Mcdonnell had seen next to nothing from his side up to this point but they almost levelled out of nothing just over 10 minutes before the break when Len O’sullivan’s run and cross from the left picked out Peter Campbell. However, a combination of Gawne and Sean O’neill was enough to put him off and he screwed his effort wide.

That was the end of the action in the first half but the second started in controversial fashion. After a scramble, the ball fell to Glenavon forward Lido Lotefa, whose goal-bound effort was blocked by Ballymena captain Scot Whiteside on the line. There was howls of derision from the Main Stand as referee Jamie Robinson not only pointed to the spot but brandished a red card to Whiteside. However, O’neill roared to the rescue with a diving stop to deny Campbell.

Thereafter, The Sky Blues’ goal was living a charmed life, with O’sullivan failing to make good enough contact with his head from Jamie Doran’s tantalising cross. The game finished 10 men apiece as Glenavon’s Jack Malone saw red for a lunge on Donal Rocks late on. Glenavon’s faint hopes of a European Play-off are now officially extinguished, while Jim Ervin’s men are set to have a two-legged tie to fight for their top-tier status.

BALLYMENA UNITED: O’neill, Whiteside, Gawne, Mccullough, Taylor (Rocks 82), Boyle, Brown, Stewart (Mcmurray 77), Barr (Hood 93), Mccurry (Tennant 82), Mccallion.

Subs not used: Johnston, Mcgrory, Robinson. GLENAVON: Byrne, Toure (Garrett 67), Snoddy (Teggart 67), Malone, Campbell, Quinn, Wallace, Ward, O’sullivan, Doona, Lotefa (Doran 61). Subs not used: Gracey, Kerr, Hodgins, Clarke. Referee: Jamie Robinson (Portadown)

Man of the Match: Sean O’neill Match rating: 7/10