ANDREW Rosbotham gave United boss Tommy Wright a selection nudge as the Sky Blues cantered to a 4-0 victory at Coagh on Thursday night.

With Stuart King sidelined for some time with a fractured wrist, the young winger took his chance to stake his claim for the wide left position by scoring twice and setting up the other two goals.

With Coagh's Hagan Park ground being re-seeded, the match was played on a bumpy surface at the nearby Coagh Sports Centre.

"We found out yesterday that we would be playing there and the conditions were very difficult but we were happy that we didn't pick up any injuries," said United assistant manager Jim Grattan, deputising for Tommy Wright, who was tying up some loose ends of a proposed friendly match with Manchester City.

"Tommy has told Andrew that Stuart's misfortune could open the door for him. The opportunity is there for him and he has to work on some aspects of his game but I thought he was superb tonight.

"We have enjoyed a good run of results in pre-season. Winning is a habit and losing is a habit so we have to be pleased at maintaining our unbeaten record," added Jim.

Rosbotham had already clipped the crossbar with a trademark free kick before he gave United the lead on 32 minutes with a 30-yard shot which was straight at Coagh keeper Garth Hepburn but the custodian could only watch as the ball slipped through his grasp and rolled into the net.

Ballymena made eight changes at half-time, including first appearances in pre-season for Mark Watson and Garth Scates and it was the latter who was brought down for a penalty by Hepburn on 51 minutes, with Rosbotham confidently tucking away the spot kick.

Teenage defender Andy Phillips hit the post with a header before United stampted their superiority on the game with two more goals in the last five minutes.

The first of them was a bizarre affair with Rosbotham's cross headed into the air by a defender. Keeper Hepburn called to claim the loose ball but it slipped through his hands and bounced off his knee into the roof of his own net for an extraordinary own goal.

And Rosbotham was again involved in the fourth goal in the 89th minute when another teasing cross from the left was headed home from virtually on the goal-line by Austin Friel.

Coagh United: Hepburn, Leacock (sub Donaldson 52), Thornton (sub Clarke 52), Calderwood (sub Ferguson 70), McMenemy (sub McLernon 52), Hawe (sub Kennedy 68), Tomelty, Dallas, Workman, Marks, Smith.

Ballymena United: Addis (sub Murphy 46), Callaghan (sub M Watson 46), McClean (sub Albert Watson 63), Haveron, Simms (sub Phillips 46), Patrick (sub McConaghie 46), Picking (sub Melly 46), Aidan Watson (sub Scates 46), Brown (sub Friel 46), Kelbie (sub Fitzgerald 46), Rosbotham.