Ballymena United 3, Glentoran 4

The Sky Blues had left in the first half but conceded three goals in 14 minutes either side of the interval at a rain-lashed Showgrounds.

After their troubles in the final third of the pitch in Wednesday night’s County Antrim Shield semi-final defeat, manager Glenn Ferguson’s response was to drop Michael McLellan to the bench and play skipper Allan Jenkins as a makeshift bustling centre-forward.

Ballymena made an encouraging start with Tony Kane fizzing a shot just wide and Jenkins forcing Elliott Morris into a low save, all inside the opening 60 seconds.

At the other Mark Miskmmin teed up Marcus Kane whose shot was deflected behind for a fruitless corner, while Richard Clarke shot was kept out at the second attempt by Stuart Addis at the near post.

United spurned a clear-cut opening on 12 minutes when David Cushley got a clear sight of goal inside the penalty area but his well-struck shot found the body of Morris.

But the Sky Blues did go in front on 23 minutes with a superbly-worked goal. David Cushley hood-winked an opponent in the centre of the pitch with a clever side-step and then provided an inch-perfect through ball for Teggart to run through and beat Morris with a low near-post shot.

It was so close to being 2-0 on 34 minutes as Tony Kane’s free kick was flicked on to the back post where Jenkins met it with a powerful shot which came off the underside of the crossbar.

Instead, within four minutes Glentoran were level. Jason Hill provided the cross from the left and Jordan Stewart took advantage of some hesitant Ballymena defending to spin cleverly and fire into the bottom corner from 15 yards.

Buoyed by this, the Glens came close to grabbing the lead in first half injury time when Jimmy Callacher’s free kick was palmed behind by Addis.

But the visitors did go ahead four minutes after the restart when a free kick from the right wasn’t cleared and Jim O’Hanlon poked the ball under Addis from close-range.

And in a second half double-whammy, Glentoran went 3-1 ahead on 52 minutes when Richard Clarke teed up Marcus Kane, whose shot, although not sweetly struck, curled beyond Addis and into the top corner.

The east Belfast side threatened to run riot with Addis making a crucial block from Stewart, while the clear-breaking O’Hanlon chipped the ball over Addis but could only watch agonisingly as the ball trundled wide of the far post.

Instead, Ballymena conjured up a way back into the match on 64 minutes when Teggart’s wayward shot was headed home by substitute Gary Liggett.

But the comeback was short-lived as three minutes later, teenager Stewart raced onto a long through ball to place a shot confidently past Addis.

United tried to forge a way back into the game but Liggett could only blaze over from 12 yards in a goalmouth scramble, while Tony Kane had a free kick tipped over by Morris.

Ally Teggart turned home Michael McLellan’s cross in stoppage time for a third Ballymena goal but there was no time to re-start the game.

Ballymena United : Addis, McCullagh (sub Liggett 61), Munster, Taylor, Ruddy, Taggart, T Kane, Surgenor (sub McLellan 72), Cushley (sub Robinson 73), Jenkins, Teggart. Subs (not used): Stewart, E Kane.

Glentoran: Morris, O’Neill, Hill, M Clarke, R Clarke (sub McGuigan 86), Callacher, Bradley, O’Hanlon, Stewart, Kane, Miskimmin. Subs (not used): Magee, Henderson, Hughes, Addis.

Referee: Colin Burns (Comber).