Controversial winner lifts United to fifth

The victory was secured by Richard Gibson's header 15 minutes from time – a goal which Celtic vehemently protested had never crossed the goal-line.

The big striker had initially chested Michael Smith's long throw up in the air before heading goalwards. DC keeper Stephen Harbinson pivoted through the air to claw the header out and when the ball first bounced, it did so in front of the goal-line, but assistant referee Eamon Shanks adjudged that the ball had crossed the line while in the air and signalled a goal to referee Mark Courtney.

It prompted a furious reaction from the home side, who had three players booked for their protests. It was certainly a massive call for the official to make at full speed on the spot, with the position of television cameras in relation to the goalmouth making any pictures inconclusive.

"I'm in no position to judge it from where I was – it looked a bit like the one we had against Distillery in midweek when the boys were convinced it was over the line," United boss Roy Walker told Times Sport.

"I was in no position to see it – that's not me doing an Arsene Wenger – but Cutchy (Gary McCutcheon) wheeled away as soon as the header went and that was an indication to me that he thought it was in. I asked him afterwards and he was absolutely convinced it was well over the line."

It was only Ballymena's wastefulness which ensured that it was even an issue as the lively visitors spurned enough openings to ensure they should have been umpteen goals ahead before the contentious incident, particularly in the first half.

"The first half performance was excellent and how it was 1-1 at the break I don't know," said Walker.

"I was fit to be tied at half-time. The boys will tell you, I was as animated as I get.

"We need to be, in the nicest sense of the word, clinical, in front of goal. We're creating lots of opportunities and we've hit the woodwork in games but we need to be more ruthless in front on goal."

Ballymena went ahead on 14 minutes when Nathan Hanley swept home a shot from the edge of the penalty area and missed a bagful of chances before being caught with a classic sucker-punch just short of the interval. Keeper Dwayne Nelson came for a Liam Bradley corner and didn't even get close, leaving Darren McNamee a simple tap-in.

"It was a goalkeeping error by Dwayne and I was hard on him at half-time. We're all accountable for our actions and I heard him call very clearly," said Walker.

Worse was to follow as DC took the lead on 62 minutes with a stunning volley from Ciaran Gargin, running onto a dropping ball but within two minutes, United were level, thanks to an equally sumptuous finish from Eamonn Murray.

The winger took a pass from McCutcheon and as he weighed up his options, he cut back inside onto his right foot and curled a beauty beyond a motionless Harbinson into the top corner. It underpinned another eye-catching display from Murray, who is on the top of his game at present.

“The word electrifying does not understate the impact Eamonn has made for us in games.

“The one thing that a lot of wide players, 'flair' players, lack is usually consistency but we are getting that from Eamonn – he has been a genuine threat in every game,” added Walker.

Then came that controversial winner, although Walker admitted: “I would have been going home thinking that anything less than three points would have been like a defeat.

What pleased me was how we saw the game out – we weren't holding on, we were getting balls into their box and we looked more likely to score again than they did.”

Donegal Celtic: Harbinson, Spence (sub McMenamin 78), Hanna, O'Hara, Cleary, McAllister, Bradley, McNamee (sub Henderson 87), Gargin, McCann (sub Dickson 78), McVeigh. Subs (not used): Curran, Carvill.

Ballymena United: Nelson, Surgenor, Watson, Gage, Colligan, Smith, Haveron, Hanley, Murray, McCutcheon, Gibson. Subs (not used): Stewart, McDowell, McNeill, Young, Carson.

Referee: Mark Courtney (Dungannon).

[email protected]