SWIFTS MAKE SKY BLUES PAY THE PENALTY
A late spot-kick helped Dungannon Swifts get the better of Ballymena United at The Showgrounds and move Rodney McAree's side into second place.
United created the early pressure with Stephen O'Donnell being inches away from meeting a Ben Kennedy set piece while another Kennedy free-kick was nodded wide by Aaron Jarvis not long after that.
At the other end Steven Scott's piledriver was deflected clear by Donal Rocks while Tomas Galvin was denied by a low save by keeper Sean O'Neill.
O'Neill was called into action again to turn James Knowles' curling effort just over before touching Adam Glenny's header onto the underside of the bar as the Swifts began to dominate possession.
Calvin McCurry then cleared another moment of danger off the line, with John McGovern then being played clear but O'Neill was on hand again to deal with the threat.
The second half was a much quieter affair initially, but United did come within inches of making the breakthrough midway through when Kennedy's free-kick came back off the far post before play switched down the other end for Josh Carson to stop a Cahal McGinty header on the line.
The deadlock was eventually broken five minutes from time with what turned out to be the match winner. Home substitute Joseph Moore was adjudged to have brought down McGinty just inside the area with Andrew Mitchell stepping up to send O'Neill the wrong way from the resultant spot-kick.
Ballymena United: O'Neill, Lafferty, Rocks, Gawne, Jarvis, Kennedy, Scott, O'Donnell, McCurry, Brown, McCallion subs Johnston, Moore, Loughran, McMurray, Devine, Devlin, Carson
Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, S. Scott, Curry, Knowles, McGovern, Dillon, Glenny, McGinty, Galvin, Wallace, Bigirimana subs Solis Grogan, J. Scott, King, Alves, Maguire, McAleese, Mitchell
Substitution 
Substitution 
