KELLY THE HERO AS BALLYMENA GET FIRST WIN SINCE SEPTEMBER
A Joshua Kelly goal late in the game earned Ballymena United a first league win since September with victory over Crusaders at Seaview.
Scoreless at the break, Jamie McGonigle came closest to opening the scoring when his effort from just outside the area rose before smashing off the crossbar.
Chances were scarce for large periods of the second half with Ballymena perhaps having the best opportunity when Jonny Addis flicked on a corner which came off Colin Coates on the line and then over the bar.
However, that all changed on 88 minutes when Kelly bagged what proved to be the winner with an unstoppable 25-yard drive into the top corner after receiving the ball from Adam Lecky.
Remarkably, the Crues almost hit back immediately when first a McGonigle header was well saved by Jordan Williamson before, in added time, the United keeper superbly dived to his right to deny David Cushley from the spot after Tony Kane had impeded Howard Beverland inside the box.
Crusaders: Doherty, Burns, Beverland, Coates, Lowry, McGonigle, Cushley, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Heatley, Clarke subs O'Neill (not used), Hegarty (not used), Caddell (not used), Ruddy (not used), Thompson (not used), McGinley (not used), McElroy (replaced Clarke 80)
Ballymena United: Williamson, T. Kane, Addis, Harpur, Friel, Knowles, McCullough, McGrory, Balmer, Ervin, Lecky subs Ross Glendinning (not used), McGinty (not used), K. Kane (not used), Andrew Burns (not used), Reece Glendinning (not used), Kelly (replaced Harpur 85), Lavery (not used)
Substitution 
Substitution 
