PAUL Brown's third goal for Ballymena United this season wasn't one of his best - but it was the most important.

The former Limavady United striker, who revealed to TimesSport that he nearly gave up the game to concentrate on darts, delivered the 13th minute strike which settled the JJB Sports Irish Cup tie with battling Comber Rec. on Saturday to set up a money-jangling quarter-final with Linfield at the Showgrounds on the first Saturday of next month.

The Amateur League side brought several busloads of supporters to the match and they gave their players a standing ovation at the end of a match that had few highlights.

One plus for the Sky Blues was an impressive debut at the centre of defence by Simon Kelly, the former Dundalk defender, who hardly put a foot wrong.

Kelly, who first appearance for United was delayed by a two-match ban imposed while he was playing for the border club, said: "It was a scrappy game, and after we scored I thought we'd go on and win it at our ease. That didn't happen - it can often be like that a cup fixture... you are just happy to be through to the next round.

"At one-goal it was dodgy, in case you made a mistake. There was no real sustained pressure on us, just long balls which we dealt with."

Rec. were well-organised and disciplined, but they were caught napping when the defence failed to clear a right wing cross from Mark Picking and Brown hammered the ball into the net from close range - his second goal in successive matches.

The visitors earned high credit marks for a gutsy display, but they seldom threatened United keeper Paul Murphy, though Mark Miller might have done better with an early chance and Craig McCracken, the former Linfield striker volleyed the ball over the bar when former Distillery midfielder Jim McCloskey's corner was headed into his path.

Ballymena United: P. Murphy, Callaghan, McClean, Scates, Albert Watson, S. Kelly, Picking (sub King 62), Patrick, Brown, Kelbie (sub Fitzgerald 76), Melaugh. Sub (not used): Aidan Watson.

Comber Rec.: Couston, McCloskey, Moore, P. Kelly, McCrory (sub Thompson 88), Dougherty, McCracken, Magowan, Barr, Miller, McKnight (sub Bowers 76). Sub (not used): Johnston.

Referee:

Report taken from Ballymena Times on 14th February, 2007