Ballymena 2-1 Glenavon

Author: Tara MclaughlinPublished 2nd Nov 2018

Ballymena scored a 90th minute winner as they beat league leaders Glenavon 2-1 in the Danske Bank Premiership.

The home side looked dangerous from the start, and in just the 8th minute Andrew McGrory opened the scoring against his former club, finishing from close range after James Knowles knocked Cathair Friel's cross into his path.

In miserable, wet conditions Ballymena continued to threaten through the sheer physical presence of Adam Lecky holding up the play, but Glenavon had bursts of activity where they looked dangerous, with Murray shooting wide on the turn just after the half-hour mark.

Glenavon started the second period with a spark they'd lacked in the opening 45, but continued to struggle to create any chances of note as United remained a constant danger on the counter.

It looked like Mark Sykes wouldn't be able to grab hold of the game in his usual manner, but he did occasionally threaten in shooting narrowly over the bar, and then setting up Murray to do the same.

However, with 73 minutes on the clock, Sykes collected Marshall's pull-back and drove a low shot into the far corner to pull his side level, and set up a tense finish.

With 5 minutes left to play, Ballymena substitute Jonny McMurray did well to set up Lecky after a run down the left, but the big striker saw his first-time shot blocked by a diving Glenavon defender.

It wasn't until the 90th minute that the winner finally came, as McMurray rose highest to head fellow sub Tony Kane's cross into the bottom corner; Tuffey got down low, and got a hand to the ball, but it squirmed into the net.