United suffer penalty agony in semi-final

At 8.13pm on Saturday evening – coming up on three hours after Ballymena United and Portadown first locked horns – came the final brutal blow which extinguished a dream among Ballymena fans which had steadily increased as the Sky Blues' cup run progressed.

In front a hushed Windsor Park, with Portadown 4-3 ahead on penalties, Aaron Stewart stepped up to take United's last penalty and saw Ports keeper David Miskelly dive to his left to make a fairly comfortable save.

It was particularly harsh on the 20-year-old United defender, who is as far removed as can be imagined from some fly-by-night Irish League journeyman making a quick buck before moving on to line his pockets elsewhere.

'Archie' has come through United's youth ranks and has the club very firmly in his heart and he was brave enough to put himself forward to take what was always likely to be the game-deciding fifth penalty.

It was a heart-breaking end to a semi-final which, although the best quality performances came from defensively-minded players on each side, was always a captivating encounter.

Ballymena recovered from the setback of conceding a first half goal from Jordan Baker to fight back and level through a sizzling strike from Andy Smith.

United's young players belied their lack of cup semi-final experience with a bright start which almost brought a goal inside the opening 10 minutes, only for Kevin Kelbie's back post volley to be chalked off for an earlier infringement by Gary Haveron.

Baker had already poked an effort off the base of the post before he put Portadown ahead on 36 minutes. From one of a succession of Andy Hunter long throws, Gavin Taggart's awkward headed clearance fell to Kevin Braniff and when his mis-hit effort ballooned goalwards, Baker outjumped keeper Dwayne Nelson to head home.

It was the sort of incident which, nine times out of 10, is blown for a foul on the keeper but video evidence suggested that Nelson wasn't totally in possession of the ball.

If Nelson was perhaps slightly culpable in that incident, he redeemed himself with an excellent reflex save from Darren Kelly's volley in first half stoppage time, when a second Ports goal would have given United a monumental task.

Instead, Ballymena were the better team in the second period and deservedly drew level on 65 minutes when Nelson's long clearance wasn't dealt with by the Portadown defence, with Alan Teggart and Ross Redman getting in a terrible tangle to present Smith with a shooting chance which the former Northern Ireland lashed into the top corner past Miskelly.

Ballymena spurned a glorious opportunity at the end of the first period of extra time when firstly, Noel Anderson's low shot was brilliantly kept out by Miskelly who then, while still on the ground, somehow recovered to keep out Mark Surgenor's follow-up effort.

Ballymena were given the best possible start in the penalty shootout when Nelson dived to his left to keep out Kevin Braniff's weak effort.

Andy Smith gave United the lead which was cancelled out by Richard Lecky before Miskelly made a superb stop low to his right to keep out Chris Ramsey's effort for Ballymena.

The next five kicks were all successfully converted – Johnny Topley, Andy Hunter and Darren kelly for Portadown and Kevin Kelbie and Noel Anderson for United – before Stewart's miss brought the curtain down on United's bid for a first Irish Cup final in 21 years.

Sporting opinion traditionally suggests that a semi-final is a much worse stage at which to lose than a final, simply because you miss out on the entire build-up to and experience of the decider.

Multiply that by the anguish of losing on penalties and you're left with a feeling that won't simply evaporate inside a few days.

Ballymena United: Nelson, M Smith, Stewart, Haveron (sub Surgenor 92), Albert Watson, Aidan Watson, Colligan, Taggart (sub Ramsey 70), A Smith, Kelbie, Lockhart (sub Anderson 70). Subs (not used): McNeill, O'Neill.

Portadown: Miskelly, O'Hara (sub Mackle 32), Kelly, Hunter, Redman, Mouncey, McCluskey, Braniff, Teggart, McCutcheon (sub Lecky 11), Baker (sub Topley 77). Subs (not used): Armstrong, Morrison.

Referee: Adrian McCourt (Bangor).