UNITED get back to league action this weekend with the visit to Windsor Park, to play League leaders, Linfield; In what is an appetiser for the Irish Cup clash in two weeks time.

Following Ballymena's one goal victory over Comber Rec. they were drawn against Saturday's opponents in the quarter-finals of the JJB Sports Irish Cup for the first time in 18 years. However, they will battle it out in the League this time. The Blues have regained their familiar place at the top of the pile, after long-term leaders, Glentoran have fallen away in recent weeks. Despite a slow start to the league campaign and being knocked out of both the CIS Cup and County Antrim Shield at the semi-final stages, the Blues have only lost once in the league; which was a humbling 3-0 defeat to Cliftonville at Windsor Park.

The two sides played out a scoreless draw at the Showgrounds in October, which halted a run of four straight Linfield wins against the Braidsiders. That included the heartbreaking County Antrim Shield final last season, which Linfield won 2-1. Ballymena's last win against Linfield was in October 2005, when Dominic Melly fired in the only goal of the game as Ballymena ended a 17-year winless run at the international stadium. The last home win against Linfield came eight years ago this week! When in February 1999, Alan Fraser's side notched a memorable 4-2 win, as even Mark Carlisle scored along with PJ O'Connell and Dessie Loughery (2).

Team news from the United front is that Gavin Melaugh and Garth Scates will serve one-game suspensions, and will be replaced with two from Steven Lowry, Aidan Watson or Stuart King. Paul Brown, who has scored two weeks running is likely to regain his starting berth alongside Kevin Kelbie. Simon Kelly's impressive debut last week will likely mean no change in defence for Ballymena with Gary Haveron still out injured.

Travel Arrangements

The Seven Towers Supporters' Club will be running a bus to the game, which will be leaving from the Moat Bar, in Harryville - departing at 1.45pm. The Paradise Supporters Club will be running an earlier bus, leaving at 1.00pm to travel to the South Belfast Northern Ireland Supporters Club, before heading to the game. There is also a large contigent of Ballymena United supporters travelling to the game by train to Belfast.

Key Player

Michael Gault (pictured) has been one of the most consistent performers at Windsor Park this season, as the Northern Ireland Under-21 international is one of the first names on the team-sheet in the centre of midfield. An integral part of last season's four trophy winning team, he has played at Linfield since he was a youth and is starting to close in on 200 appearances, despite being only 23. Played in the Irish League select team in midweek.

Ex-Players

The two Linfield players that have appeared for Ballymena United are both very unlikely to play a part in Saturday's game. Midfielder Oran Kearney has been sidelined all season with a hip injury; he joined the Blues in the summer of 2005 after three seasons at the Showgrounds where he scored 34 goals in just over 100 appearances from midfield. Goalkeeper Greg Shannon joined the Braidmen at the start of last season from the Windsor Blues, but after three games was released to rejoin Linfield, were he hasn't featured in nearly two years due to the outstanding form of Alan Mannus. There are currently five members of the Ballymena first-team that have plyed their trade at Windsor Park in previous years; defender Nigel Boyd was at Linfield in the early nineties, before joining Ballymena in 1995. Whilst midfielders; Stuart King, Darren Murphy, Garth Scates and Mark Picking all won a number of medals in Linfield blue in the last five years. Incidentally, Picking was part of the 'Clean Sweep' Blues side last season.

Previous Meetings

DATE	COMPETITION	HOME TEAM	SCORE	AWAY TEAM
21-10-06	Premier League	Ballymena United	0-0	Linfield
18-02-06	Premier League	Linfield	3-2	Ballymena United
07-02-06	County Antrim Shield Final	Ballymena United	1-2	Linfield
29-10-05	Premier League	Ballymena United	0-2	Linfield
05-02-05	Premier League	Ballymena United	3-4	Linfield

Form Guide

	BALLYMENA UNITED	LINFIELD
LEAGUE POSITION	9th - 26 points	1st - 45 points
TOP SCORER	Kevin Kelbie (9)	Peter Thompson (23)
FORM (LAST SIX MATCHES)	LWDLWW	WDWWWW
LAST RESULT	W 1-0 v. Comber Rec. (h)	W 5-0 v. Ards (a)