Comfortable cup win for Braidmen

The match started with Foyle on the back foot as they have not won a match all season and were defensively minded.

It was up to the skipper David McDonald to give Ballymena their first goal from a short corner.

Again the second goal heavily involved David McDonald who drew the Foyle defence out from a short corner before slipping the ball to Paddy McKeown who struck the ball powerfully into the back of the net beyond a stunned Foyle 'keeper.

Shortly after half-time, Ballymena conceded their only goal as a lucky strike from a Foyle striker skipped over the advancing Ali Gibson into an empty net.

Paddy McKeown was able to score his second of the game from openplay with a well struck ball beating the 'keeper on his lower right side after some superb individual skill to beat the Foyle defence.

The fourth goal came from good play on the left hand side from Phil Moody to was able to cross the ball to his fellow teammate Matthew Corbett who was able to reverse sweep the ball into the goal.

The fifth and final goal was again from a short corner that allowed Andrew Bell and David McDonald to set up Paddy McKeown to convert his third goal and seal his hat-trick.

Ballymena advance to the second round where they will face either Larne or Parkview.

The team has thanked Phil Moody, Simon Law and Phil Nichol for travelling with the team and umpiring at short notice.

Ballymena: A Gibson, C Hogg, A Shields, R Smyth, A Bell, P McKeown, M Allison, M Johnson, J Gibson, D McDonald, P Moody, M Corbett, T Alexander, D Holmes.

LADIES

Ballymena III 1, Harlequins II 1: After being heavily defeated earlier in the season Ballymena demonstrated how much they have improved as the season has progressed.

With Ballymena adapting quicker to the bouncy gravel surface they were very much the stronger side throughout the first half. With a number of good chances on goal they were unlucky not to convert.

Denise Magill, making her return on the right wing, in particular was unlucky not to score as she just shaded the ball past the wrong side of the post after finding herself unmarked.

Ballymena pressure continued in the second half. It was from strong play by young Jenny Sutherland that Ballymene took the lead when she picked up a loose ball on the edge of the circle and slipped it neatly to waiting forward Alison Caldwell to score.

It was perhaps inevitable however that the away side would come back and despite handling much of this pressure well Quins’ forwards were able to equalise.

Thirds: R McCandless, H Russell, A Harbinson, G McBurney, M McCombe, S Russell, C Taylor, E Houston, L Kennedy, J Sutherland, A Caldwell, D Magill.