Ballyclare get the better of Knockbreda at Dixon Park

Darius Roohi opened the scoring for the home side from the spot on nine minutes after Calvin McCurry had been brought down.

Ross McCaughan found an equaliser for the visitors on the hour mark before Karl Hamill netted on 70 minutes to put Breda 2-1 up.

Cathal Farren then drew the game level with around 15 minutes left to play before Joe Tully scored what proved to be the winner on 82 minutes to secure the three points for Stephen Small’s side.

Speaking to the club’s media officer Zoe Tisdale, Small said: “We didn’t manage the game as well as I would have liked when we went 1-0 up. We just didn’t have enough in all departments. They could have been 3-1 up at half time. It was a crazy game with loads of chances for both sides, one that the managers do not like, where you have no control over what is happening on the pitch. At 1-1 we wanted to go and win the game rather than hope to win the game. We wanted to get players on the pitch to win it and all three substitutes definitely had an influence with two of them scoring and Kyle Beggs being a threat down the right side.”

The result keeps Ballyclare fourth in the standings on 10 points, three off early pacesetters Loughgall and Annagh United.

Ballyclare were in action again against Dundela at Wilgar Park in the first round of the Co Antrim Shield last night (September 6). The game finished 1-1 with the east Belfast side progressing to the next round thanks to a 4-3 win in penalties.

The Comrades welcome Harland and Wolff Welders to Dixon Park this Saturday (3pm) in the league before entertaining Ballinamallard at the same venue in the first round of the League Cup on September 13 (7.45pm).