Roy draws comfort from scarcely-merited point

ROY Walker celebrated his first point in eight attempts against Dungannon Swifts – then conceded he could have had few complaints if it had been yet another defeat.

The Ballymena United boss was disappointed his side didn't go on to break their depressing sequence against the Tyrone men after being given the platform of Eamon Murray's goal just short of the interval, but admitted that the Sky Blues' overall performance didn't merit three points.

"It was a point gained on our performance because we've played better against Dungannon in the past and got nothing for it," said Walker.

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"We had too many players with below-par performances who could do better, should do better and must do better.

"I asked my coaching staff after the game to pick a player who played well and we can't – not one really came out as playing as well as they can play.

"Nobody goes out to deliberately play badly, it happens. You don't always understand why it happens. Even when we had chances in front of goal with the keeper lying on the ground, we still couldn't score.

"The effervescence has gone a little but that is down to individuals' performances. In the engine room of the team we needed to be driving on today but we had a lethargy about us. The spark wasn't there.

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"It was fairly simple things as well. We didn't turn Dungannon to get territory so as we're playing in the right areas. Too many balls came out in the middle of the park and found a yellow shirt.

"It was an indisciplined performance by us and I don't mean that in terms of kicking lumps out of people – I mean we had people getting out of position too easily.

"In every division we were iffy. It was a game that was there to be won and we were in the box seat at half-time but we needed to kick on and get that second goal," added Roy.

Ballymena fans were hoping that the long run of defeats at the hands of Dungannon might be coming to an end when the in-form Murray gave them a scarcely-deserved lead a minute before the break, with a goal which became more pleasing on the eye the further the move progressed up the field.

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There was nothing fancy about the initial stages, as keeper Dwayne Nelson's long clearance was flicked on by Richard Gibson into the path of Gary McCutcheon. From there, however, the little striker delivered a beautifully-weighted pass into the path of Murray and the winger bore down on goal and waited for keeper Sean O'Neill to commit himself before cleverly dinking the ball over the spreadeagled keeper.

But Dungannon were well worth a point and they levelled with 20 minutes left from a stunning counter-attack goal.

Niall Henderson started the move in the middle of the pitch before releasing Ryan McIlmoyle on the left and his low cross was slammed home by the in-rushing Michael Ward.

The plus point for Ballymena is that in previous seasons, they might well have lost a game in these circumstances but they quickly need to regain the sparkle of previous weeks if their excellent early-season work isn't to go to waste.

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Ballymena United: Nelson, Smith, Watson, Gage, Stewart, Murray, Taggart (sub Young 75), Carson (sub Colligan 60), Hanley, McCutcheon, Gibson (sub Surgenor 83). Subs (not used): McDowell, Dowie.

Dungannon Swifts: S O'Neill, R O'Neill, Mullan, McCaffrey, McClean, McKerr (sub Forker 69), Henderson (sub Fitzpatrick 89), McCluskey, Topley (sub McIlmoyle 60), Adamson, Ward. Subs (not used): McMinn, McCullough.

Referee: Keith Halliday (Bangor).