Belfast Celtic 4
Ballymena 2
City Cup

Match Report

Ballymena would up the season last Saturday with a visit to Celtic Park, where Celtic defeated by four goals to two.

The team showed several changes, McIlroy of Summerfield coming on at outside-right, Surgenor at right-half, and McPherson going to outside-left. They played better as a team than they have done for some weeks and gave Celtic a shock when McClelland scored early in the game.

It took the Celts the most of twenty minutes before the equaliser came, but afterwards they quickly went ahead and were leading by a goal at the interval. Two more goals were scored against Ballymena in the second half, but in the last minute Shiels reduced the lead after a characteristic run through.

Celtic were soon at close grips with the Ballymena defence but were repulsed after raiding for several minutes. Paterson initiated the first Ballymena movement by lobbing the ball up to Shiels, but Fulton was on the qui-vive, and allowed the Ballymena keeper no scope to advance the raid. After McNinch had repelled the next Celtic advance McIlroy was put in possession and tested Breen with a great shot.

Ballymena still kept hammering away, and after seven minutes' play James McClelland opened the scoring with a fast drive. The Celts had another good innings but still failed in their efforts to gain the equaliser, and then McIlroy made the crowd sit up with a glorious shot which Breen pulled down from under the crossbar, and, when he failed to hold it. was lucky to have a defender at hand to clear.

In the course of a subsquent attack by the homesters McCandless blocked a dangerous drive from Brown, and on the rebound Donnelly got possession and just missed by inches with a first-timer. The Celts still hung about the Ballymena goal, and in an exciting moment Stewart kicked a corner when an opponent had charged down a clearance by McCandless. A free against Ballymena brought more danger, but King was quick to handle when the ball bounced off McCandless' head.

Just afterwards Paterson was useful in stopping a gap when Brown succeeded in getting across one of his few good centres in this half. The star schemer and best worker of the ball on the Celtic side was Coulter, who played nippy football and gave Stewart, Paterson, and McNinch a busy time indeed. Once, after evading McNinch, he was right through, only to be checked by McCandless.

Ballymena resumed the attack, and both wingers had good runs, but were overpowered by the defence, who kicked steadily and with good length. Shiels made several good runs down the middle, but was too often left to fight a lone battle. He got the ball out beautifully once to McIlroy, whose quick return was smartly cleared by Feenan.

At the end of 25 minutes Coulter beat Surgenor, Paterson and McNinch and drove for goal, and as King dived David Martin diverted the ball past him into the net for the equaliser. Coulter headed narrowly past from a corner in the next minute. Soon afterwards another corner followed, and the ball went across to Jack Mahood, who headed deftly past King from a good distance.

One of the finest runs was made by Lee, who dribbled past several opponents and placed to McPherson, who was wrongly given offside. In further raids by Ballymena, Shiels was a prominent worker, but none of his shots came off, and Celtic still led at the interval.

A long drive by Stewart in the first minute of the second half was held by Breen, who lost grip of the ball when Shiels dashed in, but nobody was up to finish. Coulter again had a direct run through, and after King had fisted out the ball from him, Joe Donnelly met the ball and drove it into the net for Celtic's third goal.

Celtic were now definitely on top, and from a well-placed corner from Mahood, Martin grazed the upright. In two successive raids they were caught napping by the offside tactics of the Ballymena backs. In this half Mahood was showing up a good deal better. He beat Surgenor in one great run and volleyed in a shot which King brought down. King then handled from Brown, who was also seen to better advantage now. Martin struck the post with another good try, and on the rebound Coulter again tested King, who was more confident in this half.

After several unsuccessful corners the Celts eventually went further ahead when David Martin scored their fourth goal. King was soon in action again, this time to save a powerful drive from Mahood, and at the opposite goal Lee gave Breen a hot handful.

The last named player later skimmed the crossbar with another excellent try, a feat which McIlroy emulated a few minutes later. McIlroy's centres might have made more use of in this half, one especially good one giving McPherson a dandy chance which he did not take.

Celtic were pressing towards the end but in the last minute Jamie Shiels wormed his way through and scored Ballymena's second goal with one of his old-time shots.

Match report written by Ballymena Observer (5 May 1933)