BALLYMENA United suffered a 2-1 defeat at First Division Bangor in their penultimate pre-season match today.

The Sky Blues trailed 2-0 at the break before defender Aaron Callaghan pulled one back with a spectacular finish after the break.

Strikers Kevin Kelbie and Paul Brown had both put headers off-target before Ballymena fell behind in the 34th minute when a neat one-two between Paul McDowell and Andy Morrow carved open the centre of United's defence and Morrow lifted the ball past the advancing Paul Murphy, who got a touch but couldn't prevent it from trundling into the net.

Worse followed for United a minute into stoppage time at the end of the first half. A Peter McKenna corner was met by the head of Paul McDowell and although Murphy initially looked to have kept it out, the ball somehow escaped from his grasp and ended up crossing the line.

Ballymena raised their performance level at the start of the second period and halved the deficit nine minutes after the break with a goal from an unlikely source in Aaron Callaghan.

Craig McClean took a quick free kick from wide on the left, just inside the Bangor half, and sprayed a pass across the pitch to Callaghan. The right-back cushioned a beautiful first touch past an oncoming opponent and advanced a couple of steps before firing a ferocious drive into the top corner from fully 30 yards.

Ballymena pressed for an equaliser in the closing stages but the closest they came was when Dominic Melly's shot was kept out by the feet of Bangor keeper Ryan Brown.

Speaking after the match, United boss Tommy Wright said: "We worked the players really hard this week - two two-hour sessions - and that was maybe the reason why we were a bit lethargic in the first half.

"But probably a bigger disappointment was our decision-making in the first half. We took an extra touch, we didn't get crosses in, we didn't play the right pass…little things like that.

"The two goals were defensively poor today which is a surprise because it is a position we've been strong in. The two centre-halves know they haven't done well for the first goal and for the second, Paul Murphy said he got a hand to the initial effort and was keeping it out but it hit Lee Patrick on the shoulder right in front of him and went in.

"The reaction was excellent in the second half. We didn't have to tell them it hadn't been good enough and a few players came in and did their chances no harm and Aaron scored a superb goal and was excellent once again," added Tommy.

Bangor: Ryan Brown (1), Bailie (sub Rosson 78), Hylands (sub Allen 74), Munn, Emerson, Kerr (sub Nelson 56), Ryan Brown (2), Irvine (sub G Brown 78), Morrow, McDowell (sub Camlin 46), McKenna (sub Larmour 46).

Ballymena United: Murphy, Callaghan, McClean, Patrick, Albert Watson, Haveron, Picking (sub Melly 46), Aidan Watson, Brown (sub Friel 59), Kelbie, Rosbotham (sub Boyd 46). Sub (not used): Simms.

Referee: Frankie Bogle (Bangor).

(Pictures courtesy of bangorfc.com)