Ballymena United4–1Loughgall

Ballymena United have climbed to the summit of the Sports Direct Premiership table after a comfortable 4-1 victory over Loughgall sent them top at The Showgrounds on Saturday afternoon.

After wholesale changes during the week en route to squeezing past Rathfriland Rangers in the League Cup, Jim Ervin reverted back to a familiar line up for a return to league action, with Joe Moore for Ethan Devine the only change to the side that beat Portadown a week ago.

Loughgall gave United all kinds of problems in the meetings between the sides last season, but with both teams in different places this time round, it was a day Ballymena controlled from the off. Plenty of chances came in the first twenty minutes as Moore raced clear but poorly connected with his effort, while Ben Kennedy brilliantly picked out Calvin McCurry, who fired straight at Nathan Gartside.

With twenty-five minutes on the clock, the hosts finally found a way through as Ben Kennedy opened the scoring via a penalty, after Luke Cartwright caught McCurry before the ball as he tried to clear in the box. It allowed the league's top scorer the chance to net from the spot and after a short run up, he effortlessly passed the ball into the bottom corner past Gartside, who went the right way but was beaten by accuracy.

Ballymena would've been keen to press home their advantage, something they failed to do during the week, but this time they did just that as two minutes after the opener, United had a second. Minutes beforehand at 0-0, Kym Nelson missed a glorious chance as he headed wide a Josh Carson cross at the back post, but second time round Kym Nelson got it right as he met a Carson corner to head home his second of the season and put the hosts in full command.

The visitors hadn't offered much in the opening half hour, but when they had got forward the Braidmen looked a little unsure at times and just five minutes after going two clear, a mix up at the back saw the lead halved. As Danny Lafferty attempted to clear a low ball into the box, he smacked the ball off Donal Rocks stood in front of him and it fell kindly for Jay Boyd, who turned neatly before firing into the bottom corner.

However, Dean Smith's side weren't back within one for long, as just two minutes later Ballymena had a third in what was the fourth goal in a crazy nine minutes. Moore and Andy Scott had been a threat all day down the flanks and when Kennedy clipped a ball down the left side for Moore, he showed great strength to get to the ball and fire it across the six yard box. At the back, Andrew Scottwas waiting to slide in and he bundled the ball home whilst virtually sat on the ground, to give him a richly deserved first goal in Sky Blue.

After a boring ten minutes, compared to what the last ten had provided anyway, Ballymena still found time to almost grab a fourth before the break. Kennedy broke down the middle and slipped in Carson who got a good shot away, but he was denied by the leg of Gartside, as Ballymena went to the break totally dominant and two ahead.

The second half started reasonably slowly with Loughgall probably happy to try and keep Ballymena at bay for a while before looking to get back into it, but on fifty-eight minutes The Villagers looked just about down and out as the Sky Blues got their fourth. Unsurprisingly, Carson was involved again when another inch perfect free kick found Nelson who this time headed across goal, and arriving in all on his own was Joseph Moore who easily finished to join his fellow winger Scott in bagging a deserved first goal in Ballymena colours.

Following that fourth, things rather petered out a bit with Ervin's men cruising towards top spot and an already struggling Loughgall team looking like they knew the game was up. A couple of long range Kennedy efforts ended up one up and over the bar and one into the hands of Gartside, while at the other end Sean O'Neill got across his goal well to make a terrific stop to deny a Conor McCloskey free kick heading to the bottom corner.

A handful of changes in a nine minute spell allowed United the chance to rest a few in what is a busy period and give minutes to others, including John Herron who made his home debut, as by now both teams looked to be eyeing up full time. With virtually the last play Loughgall almost grabbed a consolation goal when a stray O'Neill pass found Andrew Hoey, but he was thwarted by a wonderful Daithi McCallion goal line clearance, as Ballymena eased home in a dominant display to extend their league winning run to seven games and hit the top of the table for the first time in six years.