Ladies beaten by title favourites Portadown

The Braid ladies started well and really looked on form. Midfielders Sara Gage, Ann Hempsey and Sara Jayne Goodrich worked well together as they manipulated the ball forward to Becky Reynolds, Kirsten Young and Clare Gillespie affording them the opportunity to carve out space in the Portadown half. Unfortunately their efforts reaped no reward as Portadown were really tight at the back.

The visitors looked the more dangerous, of the two sides, on the break creating chances and probing Ballymena’s defence and an ‘on form’ Emma Leslie ensured that the first half played out 0-0.

In the second half, Ballymena pressed but were denied several short corners and, when the tide turned, it was Portadown who were awarded the short corner at the other end of the pitch. A well rehearsed set piece was executed to perfection to give the visitors the opening goal.

From then on it was as if Ballymena had resigned themselves to the defeat. It’s not that the home side didn’t have plenty of opportunity to restore parity, at this stage of the game, but they seemed to lack incisiveness in front of goal which is the difference between a missed chance and a score.

Portadown broke again with great passing and fluid movement and finished off the scoring at 2-0 to take the tie. Although this, in the main, was a hard fought tie in the end it was testament to the fact that Portadown are in line for promotion and their skill and composure shone through.

MEN

Ballymena II 2, Mossley VI 3: Against the run of play it was Ballymena who found themselves two goals to the good after 25 minutes!

The first of these saw a defensive clearance from Hanna pick out Nicholl who beat his man and slotted the ball home for a 1-0 lead.

The second fell to Tim Lowry who made no mistake in front of goal to extend the visitors’ lead.

At the other end Mossley clawed one back from a shot corner and although eh initial attempt was repelled the rebound was scooped up and hammered home on the stroke of half time 2-1.

Early in the second half Ballymena were dealt a crushing blow when, due to injury, they lost their talisman striker Nicholl.

Mossley equalled the score moments later and then edged ahead from another short corner for 3-2 lead. With Mossley again in the ascendancy, Birrell excelled to keep Ballymena in the game with some miraculous saves for which he was applauded by the Mossley forwards.

Ballymena: J Birrell(GK) D McDowell, D Bradley, E Archer, A Hanna(C), J Grimasson, W Barr, K Murphy, P Moody, T Lowry, B Martin, E Hampton, P Nicholl.