DONEGAL Celtic came from behind twice to snatch a crucial three points from this Easter Tuesday clash at their Suffolk Road ground.

Ballymena opened the scoring after 13 minutes thanks largely to the industry of Garth Scates. The midfielder stopped a quick Celtic break by intercepting a Paul McDonald pass midway inside the home half, on the left flank. He carried on down the left wing and produced a wonderful left-footed cross onto the head of Darren Fitzgerald, who scored from close range.

But the Belfast side began to come back into the game and Paul Murphy had to be alert to turn a James Lavery volley around the post while from the subsequent Lavery corner, the Ballymena keeper grabbed a Paul McVeigh header on the goal-line.

And McVeigh was denied again by Murphy seven minutes before the break when the keeper touched his header onto a post before being cleared to safety.

The game remained locked at 1-0 in the visitors' favour until a manic three-goal spell inside six minutes, the first of them coming on 62 minutes when, following a Ballymena corner, Celtic broke with lightning speed, McDonald carrying the ball from deep inside his own half, taking a one-two with a team-mate before his cross was met with an excellent diving header by Stephen McAlorum.

But within three minutes Ballymena were ahead again when stand-in skipper curled a fantastic free kick past keeper Declan Brown into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Again, however, Celtic came back within three minutes when an Andrew Bonnar free-kick dropped inside the Ballymena penalty area, wasn't cleared and McDonald fired home the equaliser.

As the game ebbed and flowed, the winner fell Celtic's way with seven minutes left when Sean Armstrong's shot cannoned off the foot of defender Simon Kelly into the path of McVeigh, who blasted past Murphy.

Ballymena almost forced a point in stoppage time when trickery from teenager winger David Cushley gave him the chance to cross and when Kevin Kelbie's mishit effort rebounded into his path, Cushley fired wide.

Donegal Celtic: D. Brown, Donaghy, Harbinson, M. McClean, Bradley (sub Bonnar 37), Allsopp, Lavery (sub Duff 78), McAlorum, Armstrong, McDonald (sub Higney 90), McVeigh.

Ballymena United: P. Murphy, Callaghan, C. McClean, Scates, Kelly, Haveron, Picking (sub Lowry 76), Aidan Watson (sub D. Murphy 68), Fitzgerald (sub P. Brown 82), Kelbie, Cushley.

Referee: Stephen Weatherall (Belfast)