CRUES WIN TOPSY TURVY SHOWGROUNDS CLASH
Crusaders defeated Ballymena United in an entertaining, topsy turvy encounter at The Showgrounds.
The Crues moved in front on 11 minutes after Adam Lecky linked up with Philip Lowry from a free-kick before sending an angled finish past Sean O'Neill from just inside the area.
And they might have doubled their advantage just moments after that only for Ross Clarke's inswinging corner to come back off the top of the crossbar.
But Ballymena levelled on 18 minutes through Kym Nelson after he blasted home the loose ball after a Mikey Place free-kick came off the wall before falling loose.
The visitors hit the crossbar again from a Ben Kennedy lob following a moment of indecision in the home defence but, on 28 minutes, Ballymena actually moved in front courtesy of Fraser Taylor's superb strike beyond Jonny Tuffey from the left side of the area.
Crusaders did have the ball in the net again right at the end of the first half when Paul Heatley turned home the rebound from a Lecky strike only for it to be ruled out offside by the officials.
However a three goal spell in seven second half minutes turned the balance of the game firmly back in favour of the visitors.
Kennedy finally got his name on the scoresheet on 67 minutes with a cushioned header after Daniel Larmour knocked on a Jordan Forsythe free-kick.
Then, four minutes after that, Heatley also got his goal after Kennedy had played him through to calmly finish beyond O'Neill before, on 74 minutes, Jarlath O'Rourke volleyed home a fourth for the Crues when he ran onto a deep cross from Heatley down the right.
Ballymena United: O’Neill, Nelson, Rocks, McCullough, Taylor, Boyle, Brown, Place, Robinson, McCurry, McCallion subs Johnston, McGrory, Tennant, McMurray, Mallon, Barr, Hood
Crusaders: Tuffey, Burns, Lowry, Kennedy, Lecky, Forsythe, O’Rourke, Winchester, Larmour, Heatley, Clarke subs Kerr, Joshua, Weir, McAleenan, Owens, Nixon, Boyd
Substitution 
Substitution 
