OFFORD GIVES CRUES THE EDGE
Kieran Offord bagged the only goal of the game as Crusaders defeated Ballymena United at Seaview.
Offord might have opened the scoring inside the first ten minutes only to hit the base of an upright after getting in behind the United defence.
At the other end the visitors did have the ball in the net midway through the first half after Ben Kennedy turned home a Sean Brown free-kick but this was ruled out by the officials.
The Crues hit the woodwork themselves early in the second half after Jarlath O'Rourke sent a right-foot shot against the crossbar.
But they did break the deadlock on 64 minutes when Ross Clarke sent over a cross from the right for Offord to meet with an overhead kick and direct past keeper Sean O'Neill.
Crusaders: Tuffey, Callacher, Weir, Stewart, Blaney, Forsythe, O’Rourke, Offord, Clarke, Franklin, Barr subs Kerr, Lowry, Jewitt-White, Teelan, Owens, Smith, Nixon
Ballymena United: O’Neill, Nelson, Rocks, Kennedy, Scott, O’Donnell, McCurry, Brown, McCallion, McMurray, Devlin subs Johnston, Coates, Gawne, Moore, O’Mahony, Devine, Hood
Substitution 
Substitution 
