Ballymena United 0
Glentoran 2
League (NIFL Premiership)

Match Report

Two late Glentoran goals saw Ballymena United fall to a 2-0 defeat in their first home game of the season at the Showgrounds on Friday night.

In front of the BBC cameras, United took to the improved Showgrounds surface for the first time this campaign and Oran Kearney made a sole change from last week's defeat to Crusaders, as James Hood replaced Success Edogun. Finley Thorndike made an appearance on the bench, just one day after confirmation of his arrival at the club from Crusaders.

The Braidmen started the encounter reasonably well, although the first decent chance came the Glens' way via Ibsen Rossi, but he headed over. A couple of minutes later, United went close not once, but twice. First, Igor Rutkowski had a crack from distance and forced a good save out of Billy Crellin. From the resulting corner, Daithi McCallion turned the ball onto and then over, the crossbar.

With twenty-one minutes gone, David Walsh pulled off the first of a number of eye-catching saves. Ross Clarke will maybe feel he should've scored with a close range header, but Walsh denied him brilliantly, before Josh Archer dealt with the aftermath in impressive fashion.

The remainder of the first half was pretty quiet in terms of chances, but stayed evenly matched. The only effort of note was another long ranger from Rutkowski, following lovely build up from Hood and Chris McKee, but again Crellin was equal to it, as a decent half of football ended goalless.

Glentoran started the second period the stronger and ten minutes in they had a huge chance via Aaron McEneff, though he could only launch a free header from close range over the bar.

The Sky Blues had a bright spell after McEneff's chance and Charlie Allen could've gone close at the back post, only for a vital Glentoran toe to get to the ball before him and shortly afterwards a smart free kick routine got the ball to Hood on the edge of the box, but his drilled strike was kept out.

Edogun replaced Rutkowski twenty minutes from time in United's first alteration of the night, but the final period was one Glentoran seized control of. With just over ten to go, Marcus Kane turned a corner over, but on eighty minutes the away side were awarded a penalty. A strike from Ben Gallagher was blocked by an outstretched Scot Whiteside arm as he slid to intercept the hit and from the penalty spot, Aaron McEneff converted via a Panenka.

Between the awarding and hitting of the penalty, Thorndike was introduced for his Ballymena debut, but United wobbled further after the late opener and in the space of one minute, Walsh tipped a Kane header over the crossbar, wonderfully tipped wide a strike from James Singleton and saw his crossbar rattled by Rossi.

In added time, Walsh was at it again, producing probably the best save of his lot when Gallagher took down a long Crellin ball and half volleyed goalwards, but somehow Walsh was able to keep it out. However, he wasn't able to deny Marcus Kane seconds later, when Ryan Cooney's corner was headed home by the Glens skipper, as two late goals condemned United to defeat.

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