Ballymena 2
Belfast Celtic 1
League (Irish League)

Match Report

Ballymena's heroic performance in defeating Belfast Celtic by 2 goals to 1 last Saturday at the Showgrounds is a feat that will stand out in the annals of the Club.

For sheer excitement and a display of grit and determination there has hardly ever been anything to equal it since Ballymena entered the football arena.

Scoring after five minutes, per Lucas, Ballymena held their lead only for five minutes, at the end of which time Donnelly levelled the score. Celtic ran rampant for the next quarter of an hour, and up to the interval were rather the better side.

Two minutes after the resumption serious misfortune befel Ballymena when Jackie Mahood broke his left leg through coming into contact with Breen, the Celtic goalkeeper, and was carried off on a stretcher, calmly smoking a cigarette. Everyone thought it was all up with Ballymena, but to their surprise the ten men proceeded to amaze them by sweeping Celtic almost off their feet.

Twenty-seven minutes after the restart Lucas scored the winning goal amidst tremendous excitement. Celtic staged a late rally, but never could master a pertinacious defences, and the game ended in a glorious and well-won victory for Ballymena.

As Morgan had not recovered from the injury received in the Gold Cup match against Glentoran, and as Surgenor was not available, Pollock, who played in the trial match, was brought on at right-half in the Ballymena team.

Ballymena, facing a slight breeze, moved off at a fast pace, but Wright intervened, and soon McNinch and McDiarmid were busy stemming a Celtic attack. In a subsequent attack King lost grip of the ball and conceded a corner, from which Williamson kicked it against an opponent and it sailed over the bar. Just afterwards King held a shot from Walker.

Ballymena raced to the opposite end, where from a throw-in near the corner flag S. Mahood tapped to Stewart, who turned the ball well in for Frank Lucas to score with a first-timer. Shiels helping the ball on its way to the net. The homesters kept pressing, and S. Mahood fired in a shot, which Breen fielded smartly. Celtic went off again, and King saved from Brown at the expense of a corner, after which Coulter sent one over the bar.

Keeping up the pressure, the Celts had their efforts rewarded when Joe Donnelly screwed in a shot which struck the far upright and turned into the net. King evidently thought the ball was going bye, for he never made an effort to stop it.

The visitors were well on their toes after this and gave the Ballymena defence a gruelling in ensuing exchanges. Williamson took a hard knock on the head with the ball and was laid out, but resumed in a moment or two. Two corners to the Celts left the score unchanged, although Coulter was not far out with a fast drive, which struck the side net.

But the Ballymena defence stood fast through it all, and eventually let the home forwards away, J. Mahood sending in a beauty which Breen brought down. From another of J. Mahood's centres Lucas headed over.

Walker got his head to the ball from Brown's pass, but was given offside. Then McCullough was injured in a collision with McDiarmid. Shiels led several attacks, and McIlroy was showing his paces on the right wing and giving Flannigan and Fulton plenty to think about. After saving a shot from Donnelly, King ran out to another incoming ball, which he failed to hold. Immediately afterwards he stopped a smasher from Coulter. Celtic took up the running again and were superior up to the interval.

Ballymena resumed with a fast attack in which Lucas just failed to break through. Then J. Mahood came in from the left to connect with a centre, and just as he cut in behind Wright he came into collison with Breen and dropped groaning to the ground. The other players clustered around him, and almost at once his brother Stanley shouted "stretcher, stretcher". Jackie asked for a cigarette, and was carried off on a stretcher and attended by Dr. McSparran, an enthusiastic follower of Celtic. It was ascertained that his left leg was fractured below the knee, and he was removed to the Waveney Hospital as speedily as possible.

It was a serious blow to Ballymena, who had been handicapped from the start by the weakness of Pollock as right half. With their backs to the wall now and with faces set firm they began the seemingly impossible task of saving a point. Believing that attack is the best form of defence they fought like Trojans, and in a very short time forced four corners in succession. McIlroy crossing the field from one side to another to take them. This was indeed an anxious time for Celtic, but they came out of it all right.

Ballymena continued on the offensive, and Lucas fired in a good effort, which Breen pushed over for another corner. Breen conceded another corner in saving a shot from Stewart. As one of the spectators said "Ballymena were giving them beans."

At last Celtic broke away and forced two corners in as many minutes, but the venue was changed quickly to the opposite goal, where McIlroy drove in a great shot which bounced on the bar and went behind. Then came the climax. McDiarmid lobbed the ball on from well in his own half and it dropped in front of goal. Breen failed to gather it and a wild scramble ensued in which Frank Lucas breasted it into the net.

Pandemonium broke loose! The crowd rose to their feet and cheered themselves hoarse. Breen and Company protested against the referee's decision, the goalie claiming that Lucas had helped the ball with his hand but the referee was on the spot and saw what happened.

Ballymena were peeved at this turn-up and tempters began to be a bit frayed on both sides, Ballymena still kept attacking for a time, but the Celts afterwards pressed strongly, but with no other result than numerous out-balls on the unreserved side. In the closing stages Breen saved at full length from S. Mahood at the expense of a corner. A full-throated cheer went up when the long-whistle sounded - fully a minute over the time.

Match report written by Ballymena Observer (27 October 1933)