Nine-man United hold their nerve - and share the spoils

AGAINST all odds Ballymena United left British Supplements Shamrock Park with a point after playing the majority of the game with ten men, eventually finishing it with nine, in a 1-1 draw with Portadown on Saturday.

Prior to kick-off, a minutes silence was observed by all those present, as Portadown and Ballymena paid their respects to the fallen, ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

Seven days on from a listless performance and disappointing result to Bangor, Oran Kearney made four changes for the trip to Mid-Ulster, as Josh Archer, Success Edogun and Chris McKee all returned, as did captain Matthew Clarke, back from two months out.

The first twenty minutes were cagey business with neither team truly settling, or worrying either goalkeeper, bar a shot from Ben Kennedy that David Walsh comfortably saved.

The tempo of the game changed on the 22 minute mark, when the visitors were reduced to ten men. Igor Rutkowski appeared to be fouled when chasing a long ball with Divin Isamala, though nothing was given, before Rutkowski was deemed to have grabbed the hair of Isamala when tussling for the ball, resulting in a red card.

Understandably, Portadown took control of proceedings with the extra man, but they were doing little to trouble United and the closest they really came was Kennedy trying his luck from at least forty yards, but his strike bobbled well wide.

Ballymena went on to finish the half strongly and ten minutes from the break they were left pondering what if once more when David Toure went down in the box under the challenge of Matthew Carson, but the decision didn't go the way of the away side.

However, a couple of minutes before the interval, some solo brilliance from McKee saw the ten men take a lead to half-time. A long Ports ball was headed away by Kodi Lyons-Foster and picked up by McKee just inside the host's half. From there, McKee knocked the ball round Lewis MacKinnon and surged away with it, holding MacKinnon off in the process, before slotting the ball into the far corner beautifully from an angle.

A goal up and a man down, the second half was always going to be about grit and resolve from the Braidmen and until late on, they produced it flawlessly. Jack Scott had the half's first effort five minutes in, seeing a high hit from distance held by Walsh.

A few minutes later came a huge opening for Kennedy against his former side when a cross found the forward free at the back post, but he could only send the ball wide. More chances would quickly follow, but James Teelan would send a shot just over the crossbar and Fuad Sule pulled off a massive block to keep Portadown at bay.

In the middle of those home openings, Ballymena were possessing a threat on the counter and Archer sliced an effort narrowly wide when Caoimhin McConnell had done well, before a low strike from Clarke from a corner called Aaron McCarey into action.

By the hour mark, Charlie Allen and Daithí McCallion had been introduced to add freshness at both ends, but as Portadown kept probing, United kept retaliating, as Lyons-Foster threw in a big block and deflected a Kennedy strike over.

Come the final ten minutes, James Hood was on for McKee and United were fully camped into defensive mode, as Walsh made two big stops to deny Teelan and Kennedy. Then, with three minutes to go, the visitors monumental effort was finally undone as Portadown levelled.

On a very rare occasion, United just couldn't clear their lines when a free kick was dropped in and after a number of headers, Isamala nodded the ball across goal for Michael Hewitt to touch home at the back stick.

The final three minutes were all Portadown, but bar one final Walsh save, Ballymena were able to deal with what came, even when they were reduced to nine men at the death. Hood put in a late challenge when already on a yellow, resulting in a second away red.

A point in the end for United, backed by a brilliant away support on a day when nothing seemed to go their way, with the disappointment of conceding so late on matched by the pleasing display with ten men for so long.

Match Report by Phillip McPeake

GOALS: 0-1 (McKee, 43) ; 1-1 (Hewitt, 87)

YELLOWS: Clarke (37) ; Walsh (61)

REDS: Rutkowski (22) ; Hood (90)

SUBS: OFF- Edogun, ON- Allen (57) ; OFF- Clarke, ON- McCallion (64) ; OFF- McKee, ON- Hood (75)