SKY BLUES NEED EXTRA-TIME AND PENALTIES
High flying Ballymena United needed extra-time and penalties to get past Rathfriland Rangers at Iveagh Park.
Rangers led at the break through Ruari Fitzpatrick's finish with just over a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock.
It took the visitors until the 53rd minute to level through Stephen O'Donnell, before they moved in front courtesy of Noah Stewart just after the hour.
Rathfriland hit back with Fitzpatrick's second of the evening four minutes later, but with no further scoring it required extra-time to settle the tie.
Ethan Devine edged United back in front on 92 minutes but, again, Rangers responded when Andy Kilmartin found the net from the spot.
Ultimately the sides couldn't be separated in open play before spot-kicks from Devine, Caolan Loughran, Kym Nelson, John Herron and Josh Carson saw Jim Ervin's side progress.
Rathfriland Rangers: Burns, Tate, Hayes, Fitzpatrick, Kilmartin, Dougan, Chambers, Rooney, Holloway, Corbett, Scannell subs Devlin, Cooper, Murray, Ferris, Wilson, Gracey
Ballymena United: Johnston, Rocks, Gawne, Place, Moore, O’Donnell, O’Mahony, Loughran, Brown, Stewart, Devlin subs O’Neill, Nelson, Coates, Herron, Devine, Hawe, Carson
Substitution 
Substitution 
