KYM IN FOR THE KILL

Nelson’s brilliant strike brightens up a drab affair

A KYM NELSON thunderbolt with 10 minutes to go was enough to earn Ballymena United victory at Crusaders last night.

The spectacular strike lit up what was a largely drab affair in front of the Sky Sports cameras as both sides struggled to impose themselves on the game.

Chances were at a premium until Nelson’s intervention secured a morale-boosting victory for David Jeffrey’s men.

Teenage defender Lewis Barr, who penned a new deal with the Crues at the weekend, was called into action early on as Nelson knocked down for David Mcdaid in the box but Barr was across quickly to close down the angle and the striker shot wide.

The visitors went close again on 14 minutes as Josh Kelly latched on to a headed clearance, his snapshot from outside the box fizzing past the upright.

The Sky Blues were asking all the questions and went close again four minutes later as Nelson and Mcdaid combined with Johnny Tuffey called into action to cut out the striker’s cross.

Ballymena were getting a lot of joy down the right-hand side and they carved the Crues open again on 24 minutes. This time

Mikey Place crossed for Nelson who ballooned over from four yards out.

The hosts finally responded as a long ball from Tuffey sent Mccauley Snelgrove clear but his weak shot was smothered by Sean O’neill in the visitors’ goal.

The midfielder almost made amends for that miss on 36 minutes as he whipped in an effort from 25 yards, which had O’neill sprawling as it flew past the far post.

United were left feeling aggrieved four minutes into the second half as a long ball forward struck the hand of Daniel Larmour as he came under pressure in the challenge with Mcdaid but nothing was given. After a dour opening to the second half things finally burst into life on the hour mark.

Jordan Forsythe’s deep cross picked out Adam Lecky at the back post and he crashed a header off the bar but Philip Lowry could not turn the rebound in from a tight angle.

Out of nowhere though the game was turned on its head as the Sky Blues opened the scoring in some style with 10 minutes to go.

Nelson picked up a loose clearance on the edge of the box, took a touch and lashed a fizzing shot into the bottom corner.

The home side should have levelled things up with four minutes to go as Burns drilled a low ball across the face of goal.

It dropped kindly for Lowry but his effort was blocked by the legs of O’neill with O’rourke somehow blasting the rebound over from eight yards.