Ballymena 5
Glenavon 0
League (Irish League)

Match Report

Ballymena at last struck form on Saturday when they met and defeated Glenavon by five goals to nil at the Showgrounds.

There was absolutely no question as to which team was the superior. Ballymena being by far the most impressive side throughout. The team was the same as the one which turned out against Cliftonville on the previous Saturday, with the exception of Kilpatrick, the new outside right just signed a day or two previously, displaced Girvan. Murphy, ex-Coleraine, who has also been signed to fill the outside left position could not play as all the preliminaries had not been completed.

Glenavon opened up briskly, McDiarmid having to concede a corner in the first few minutes. Gilmore cleared but the Glens came back again and Toman shot over the bar. As matters turned out this was the only occasion for a long spell on which Glenavon get well into the home end. Ballymena made a regular procession of attacks which Kilpatrick was a conspicuous figure, his excellent centres being splendid placed for inside forwards to have a try at goal. Time and again he sent them over and they were accepted by his colleagues but McMahon was proving himself a tower of strength in the vistors goal.

McCambridge might have opened the score early in the game after beating his man in a grand run for goal, but his close-in shot was inaccurate. Gilmore was getting in a shot or two of quality at which goalie had to stretch himself. Then Kilpatrick had a try on his own account and McMahon was quick to punch clear with McCambridge and Shiels lying close by.

The Glens were very rarely seen near the home goal, Nelson and McDiarmid proving worthy defenders. At the other end Gilmore kept up a shower of shots which only a nimble goalie could have coped with. There was a tense moment in front of goal when a beautiful centre from Kilpatrick landed in nicely for McCambridge to head against the bar. Shiels was applauded for a gruelling piece of work with Shankland as his opponent, but he was baulked at the finish.

A few spasmodic efforts by Glenavon all had tame endings, the home halves or backs either getting the better of opposing forwards or the efforts of the visiting front rank being weak. Toman was the only forward with a bit of dash about him, but he could not do it all himself. A chorus of "Oh's" resounding round the ground when a long punt by Nelson, from his own half of the field, dropping into goal, McMahon pushing it over for a corner.

Kilpatrick went to the line for a short time with an injury, but soon resumed play. The Glen's goal was now being subjected to a greater bombardment than ever, all three inside forwards making great efforts to score, but still McMahon was holding the fort. There were two dangerous moments at the Ballymena end when Nelson and Bassnett gave corners away, but eventually play went to the other end again, where O'Reilly shot straight into the goalie's arms. From a further centre from Kilpatrick, McCambridge headed through, but offside intervened.

If there was a paucity of goals in the first half there was a glut of them in the second. Less than eight minutes from the restart Bassnett and Reid initiated a good movement which allowed Shiels and Hugh Gilmore to have a run for goal, the last-named player sending in a low shot which McMahon fumbled and let slip between his legs for the opening goal.

Three minutes later McDiarmid took a free and landed the ball well up to goal, Jamie Shiels following it up and dodging around Shankland to put the ball in the net in a flash, to the astonishment of everyone. The same player was almost through a second time, but just at the critical moment got wedged between two opponents.

Ballymena continued to play a noteworthy game, and inside a further four minutes James McCambridge headed in number three from a well-placed centre by Kilpatrick. When Kilpatrick ran for the ball to get his cross in it looked like a forlorn hope, but by some outstanding craftmanship he managed to realise his intentions, and so well did he do it that it was no wonder Bassnett ran up to shake hands with him.

At this stage Glenavon were being badly outclassed, having scarcely a way in the game at all. Shiels struck an upright with a further effort, and Shankland managed to get the ball away just in time. A good cross by Toman at the other end spelt danger, but it whizzed across goal, none of his colleagues being up to take advantage of it.

Gough made an exceptionally good save when the ball flashed in from the midst of a ruck of players. In the course of the next Ballymena attack McMahon ran out of his charge and only Shankland's presence prevented Shiels from registering another goal.

Ballymena's fourth goal came about fifteen minutes from the end, good combination by Bassnett and Kilpatrick enabling Shiels and Gilmore to be in the thick of the fight again, Hugh Gilmore eventually positioning after a good deal of trouble and beating the goalie with a high shot which grazed his fingers.

The visitors rallied a little and Thompson tested Gough with a stiffener, which was well saved. Ballymena's fifth goal came through Howard punting forward well and Jamie Shiels running through to score much as he did before. Ballymena dominated the game right up to the finish.

Match report written by Ballymena Observer (11 October 1929)