Glentoran 5
Ballymena United 0
League (NIFL Premiership)

Match Report

10-man Ballymena United had yet another day to forget this season as another first half collapse contributed to a heavy 5-0 defeat by Glentoran at The Oval on Saturday afternoon.

Despite a well below par showing in the defeat to Glenavon a week ago, Jim Ervin stuck with the same starting XI for the trip to the capital, as United looked to pick up their first points on the road to a top six team this season.

However, those hopes were extinguished by the half hour mark in a frankly awful first half showing for those in Ballymena black. That said, it was a fairly quiet start to proceedings in an opening twenty minutes that greatly lacked any quality, as both sides looked high and long more often than not. Possession wise it was all Glentoran, but their only half decent chance in those first twenty minutes came when Niall McGinn drove from halfway into the box uncontested, before finding Jay Donnelly who got a good save out of Sean O'Neill.

On twenty-three minutes, a string of Glens corners finally led to the game's opening goal, and it marked the start of an all too familiar capitulation from Ballymena. Daire O'Connor swung an inviting corner into the heart of United's six-yard box and it was met by Aidan Wilson, who easily headed home.

Straight after the opener came the Braidmen's first effort on goal when Isaac Westendorf teed up Fraser Taylor, who struck straight at Aaron McCarey, but three minutes after the first goal, Glentoran had a second. A Fuad Sule cross from the left found Cammy Palmer who laid it off for Junior, and the substitute who had replaced Donnelly early on drilled a fine shot into the bottom corner.

As if the day out in East Belfast hadn't been going well enough already, Westendorf was forced off after Junior's goal, replaced by Noah Stewart, but a minute later the hosts had their third goal in six minutes. United, arguably asleep all half, certainly were for a quick free kick by Palmer who crossed for David Fisher, and he nodded the ball across goal for Junior who finished from a tight angle.

It was almost four not long after when Fisher got in on goal, but Sean O'Neill, probably the only player to take ant credit from the game, saved well, but from the resulting corner it was 4-0 with just thirty-six minutes gone. Ballymena, who were barely competing by this point, were again done from a corner when O'Neill could only punch clear to the edge of the box, and when O'Connor drilled the ball back into the box it fell to James Singleton who converted into the top corner.

Towards the end of the half O'Neill made another couple of stops before doing well to deny Junior a hattrick with an unorthodox save in added time, as the curtain came down on a half of football that was simply unacceptable for those in the away end.

A first half collapse a fortnight ago in Loughgall was compounded by conceding again a minute into the second half, but this around the Sky Blues managed to hold out for four minutes after the restart. The Glens attacked through the middle with little to no pressure on them, and when McGinn found Fisher just outside the box, he unleashed a fine strike, that perhaps took a nick of Scot Whiteside, to fly past O'Neill and in.

Following number five, the home side seemed to take their foot of the gas a bit, allowing the visitors to venture into their half every once in a while, including a free kick from Steven McCullough that was turned wide at the back post by Whiteside.

Former United skipper Josh Kelly was a second half sub for Glentoran and almost added a sixth in style when he had a pop from a short free kick twenty-five yards out, but again Ballymena had O'Neill to thank with a stunning save.

As frustrations started to build, Ballymena's bookings began to total up before two yellows in five minutes saw Donal Rocks see red after silly fouls on Fisher.

In the final ten minutes Ballymena finally showed up in some capacity as they created a few late chances. McCullough forced a save out of McCarey from a free kick, before sending another over, whilst Taylor struck wide after a positive run and Stewart saw a shot got wide by inches.

Late, late on Rory Donnelly should've added his name to the scoresheet as he turned over from a couple of yards, but thankfully the final whistle finally came on a dismal day all round, with real concerns over the margin of defeat, and manner of display.

Match report written by Philip McPeake (www.ballymenaunitedfc.com)