Ballymena United 3
Ballinamallard United 0
League (NIFL Premiership)


Ballymena United
3 - 0
Ballinamallard Utd 

League (NIFL Premiership)
Saturday, November 22nd, 2014
Ballymena Showgrounds
Attendance: 622
3:00 PM Kick-off

Goalscorers
Mark Surgenor (22)
Mark Surgenor (35)
Matthew Shevlin (87)
None.

Team Managers
Glenn Ferguson
Whitey Anderson

Starting Eleven
Dwayne Nelson
2. Tony Kane
Mark Surgenor
Stephen McBride
Jonathan Taylor
David Munster
Michael Ruddy
Neal Gawley
10. Allan Jenkins
Matthew Tipton
Darren Henderson
Stefan McCusker
Liam McMenamin
Mark Stafford
David Kee
Jonathan Lafferty
Raymond Foy
Liam Martin
Colm McLaughlin
Jason McCartney
Christopher Crilly
Ryan Campbell

Bench
Mark McCullagh
Gary Thompson
Matthew Ferguson
Eoin Kane
Matthew Shevlin
John Currie
Gary Phair
Kane Connor
Fergal Murphy
Lee McNulty

Substitutions
Gary Thompson for Neal Gawley (57)
Matthew Ferguson for Michael Ruddy (72)
Matthew Shevlin for Matthew Tipton (84)
John Currie for Ryan Campbell (59)
Gary Phair for Christopher Crilly (68)
Kane Connor for Raymond Foy (79)

Cautions
Stephen McBride (43)
Jonathan Taylor (77)
Ryan Campbell (15)
Liam Martin (87)

Red Cards
None. None.
Match Officials

Colin Burns (Referee)


Match Report


BALLYMENA United finally recorded a Danske Bank Premiership victory at the eight attempt, defeating Ballinamallard by three goals to nil, courtesy of a brace from Mark Surgenor and a late strike from 15 year old substitute Matthew Shevlin.

United started brightly and should have taken the lead on eight minutes only for first goalkeeper Stefan McCusker and second the woodwork to deny Allan Jenkins with point blank headers. The Sky Blues captain was bossing the midfield and three minutes later was again unlucky not to score with a surging run through midfield which ended with a smart save by the busy Mallards goalkeeper.

The Mallards could have equalised on 18 minutes after the impressive Johnny Lafferty went on a mazy run but his square ball to Jason McCartney was deflected out for a corner. This served as a wake up call for Ballymena who duly took the lead three minutes later through Mark Surgenor. An exquisite pass from Tony Kane found the big midfielder who finished smartly beyond Stefan McCusker in the visitors goal for his first strike of the season.

Ballinamallard were a threat on the counter, with attacking duo Johnny Lafferty and Jason McCartney combining well again, with the former almost equalising but for a superb goal line clearance from Stephen McBride. Matthew Tipton then spurned a glorious chance to double the Sky Blues lead but failed to direct his header goalwards after a pinpoint cross from winger Neal Gawley.

United were not to wait too much longer to add to their advantage however, as good hold up play from Matthew Tipton allowed Darren Boyce to find Mark Surgenor, who unleashed an excellent finish from an acute angle into the net to record his second goal of the afternoon on 35 minutes. Tipton was again denied early in the second half with a fine stop from Stefan McCusker before Liam McMenamin volleyed inches wide for the visitors.

What followed left the entire crowd in disbelief with Ballinamallard somehow managing to outdo Ballymena in terms of comedy misses. Firstly, Darren Boyce blazed a header over the bar when it seemed easier to score after an excellent cross from Matthew Tipton before Mallards defender Mark Stafford somehow failed to take advantage of Dwayne Nelson dropping the ball at his feet in the six yard box by blasting wide of the empty net.

At this point the visitors began to sense that it just wasn't their day with Ballymena now in comfortable control. The introduction of FIFTEEN year old Matthew Shevlin in place of namesake Matthew Tipton from the substitutes bench late on proved an inspired decision by manager Glenn Ferguson, as the GCSE student scored with his first touch, stabbing home the rebound from Tony Kane's free kick amidst rapturous applause in the home stand. Shevlin becomes both Ballymena United's youngest ever appearance maker and goalscorer in what will surely be a day the young lad will never forget.

Match report written by Jordan Miller



Squad Statistics (as at November 22nd, 2014)


2014-2015 All Time
Age
Dwayne Nelson (GK)30 24 - 200 -
Tony Kane27 1721278
Michael Ruddy21 141612
Stephen McBride31 16 - 36 -
Mark Surgenor28 13217219
David Munster35 12 - 1136
Jonathan Taylor26 1738610
Neal Gawley28 192303
Allan Jenkins33 20513625
Matthew Tipton34 249249
Darren Henderson28 2253812
Gary Thompson (sub)24 1429313
Matthew Ferguson (sub)19 2 - 3 -
Matthew Shevlin (sub)15 1111



League Table (as at November 22nd, 2014)


Pld W D L Pts
1. Portadown 18 11 3 4 36
2. Cliftonville 18 10 6 2 36
3. Crusaders 18 10 5 3 35
4. Linfield 18 10 4 4 34
5. Glenavon 18 9 2 7 29
6. Glentoran 18 7 6 5 27
7. Coleraine 18 7 3 8 24
8. BALLYMENA UTD 18 6 5 7 23
9. Institute 18 4 5 9 17
10. Ballinamallard Utd 18 4 4 10 16
11. Dungannon 18 2 6 10 12
12. Warrenpoint Town 18 2 3 13 9