Ballymena United 1, Harland & Wolff Welders 0

On a sticky Showgrounds pitch, the visitors started brightly and from a Stephen Cockcroft cross from the left was volleyed wastefully over by Mark Magennis when well placed.

The former Linfield player came much closer with his next effort, a wicked dipping first-time volley from fully 30 yards which sailed past the post with United keeper Aaron Shanahan well beaten.

Ballymena’s first effort on goal came in the 16th minute with David Cushley’s stinging free kick punched clear by Welders keeper Lee Windrum.

Cockcroft’s delivery from set pieces was a continual threat and from another teasing free kick, defender Craig Harris’s header had Shanahan diving to his left to grab the ball.

Ballymena forced an opening 11 minutes after the re-start when David Cushley fired in a powerful effort which keeper Windrum pushed wide.

From the resultant corner, Mark Surgenor tried to bundle the ball home but was denied by defender Gareth Beattie.

Ballymena came close to breaking the deadlock on 65 minutes when Mark McCullagh’s header from Ally Teggart’s corner came back off the face of the crossbar.

Then Thompson played in Teggart but, under pressure from Welders defender Gareth Beattie, the winger couldn’t get the ball out from under his feet and could only poke his shot wide of the target.

With their tails up, Ballymena created another opening when Cushley cut inside onto his left and fired a blistering shot inches wide of the far post.

Eventually Ballymena’s pressure told as they broke the deadlock with 15 minutes left.

Gary Thompson picked up the ball in midfield and after a surging run, played a neat one-two with substitute Michael McLellan before coolly slotting past an exposed Windrum.

United came close to sealing victory with seven minutes left when Jenkins broke from his own half after defending a corner and played a through ball to McLellan whose attempted lob over the stranded Windrum went just over the bar.

Then Boyce latched onto a Jim Ervin clearance after a slip by defender Dan McMurray but he could only blaze his shot wide of the near post, while Jenkins headed tamely at Windrum in stoppage time.

Ballymena United: Shanahan, Ervin, McCullagh, Stewart, Ruddy (sub McBride 88), Surgenor, Thompson, Jenkins, Cushley, Boyce, Teggart (sub McLellan 72). Subs (not used): Davidson, Robinson, Lowry.

H&W Welders: Windrum, Beattie, Armstrong, Davidson, McMurray, Harris, Dickson, Magennis (sub Devine 79), Burrows, Cahoon, Cockcroft. Subs (not used): Deans, Middleton, Dougherty.

Referee: Ross Dunlop (Carrickfergus).