United are left to count the cost after failing to take their chances
The Reds’ Joe Gormley had put the North Belfast side into the lead, but United missed two gilt-edged chances of punishing the current league champions.
To make matters worse, Ballymena then had Aaron Stewart dismissed after picking up two yellow cards.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Manager Glenn Ferguson said: “We can take many positives away from the game.
“Yes, we are disappointed with the result, especially when we had two glorious chances in the second half, but failed in both cases.”
Joe ‘The Goal’ Gormley celebrated his player of the month award by sending his side back to the top of the Premier League table.
The 22-year-old rattled in his 10th of the season – but it was the previous nine that won Gormley the BT Sport accolade for the month of August, nominated by the NI Football Writers.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Gormley struck after just three minutes, capitalising on Mark McCullagh’s hesitancy to lob the ball over a stranded Dwayne Nelson.
It was enough to halt an unexpected two-game losing streak – Tommy Breslin’s men having been beaten by Portadown and Coleraine in their previous fixtures.
BALLYMENA U: Nelson, Kane, Ruddy (Duffin 85), Taylor, McCullagh, Stewart, Thompson Gawley (Liggett 46), McClellan (Davidson 65) Jenkins, Teggart Subs: Taggart, Munster.
Cliftonville: Devlin, Caldwell, Seydak, Catney, Smyth, McGovern, Curran (Garrett 81), McNeill, Boyce (O’Carroll 56) Gormley (Doherty 87), Donnelly. Subs: Scannell, Murray.
Ref: R Crangle (Belfast).