Manager Roy Walker reshuffled his pack for the trip to Londonderry with Albert Watson making his first start since Novemeber in place of Archie Stewart, while Paul McNeill also got his first start of the campaign, coming in for the injured Michael Ward.

It was 20-year-old McNeill who nearly got the visiting Braidmen off to a flying start in the first minute, as he came close to opening the scoring.

His strike-partner Kevin Kelbie conjured up a bit of magic on 23 minutes, when he took on the 'Stute defence and fired a rasping left-footed drive just wide of the post from a tight angle.

Kelbie turned provider thereafter, as the Sky Blues attempted to make their relentless pressure pay off - the Scot's teasing cross teed up Gavin Melaugh who fired over from point blank range with the goal at his mercy.

Defender Gavin McDonnell had also managed to fire over when it looked easier to score, as Ballymena United continued to squander good chances.

Institute's best chance of the half came in injury time of the first half when Alan Blayney was forced into his only save of note of the clash, when Kevin Ramsey's effort was forced around the post.

The home side came into the game moreso in the second period, however Philip Lowry's long range effort was the closest the Londonderry side came to scoring, as his effort just went wide of the post.

Paul McNeill summed up United's afternoon when he had arguably United's best chance of the afternoon as he broke the offside trap and with keeper Doherty wrong-footed he failed to hit the open target, as another chance went begging.

Depsite a late flurry, the Braidmen had to settle for a well-earned point away from home - despite the knowledge it could easily have been three.

"You can ask for no more than a clean sheet away from home but Alan Blayney didn't have a mark on him." Rued Ballymena boss Roy Walker.

"I thought we were the better team for at least 60 per cent of the game and dominated the first half but we didn't take our gilt-edged chances.

"But it's a point gained. The other teams may have games in hand but they still have to win them.

"Lots of teams have lost at Institute so there's no disgrace in picking up a point at Drumahoe - but in the overall context of the game, we're a tad disappointed.

"We only have one defeat in our last six away games and we've won four of them - if were able to match that at home. Maybe in our next home match we'll wear the black kit and we'll not let on it's the Showgrounds!"

Teams:

INSTITUTE	BALLYMENA UNITED
1: DOHERTY, Michael	1: BLAYNEY, Alan
2: .BOYLE, Ruari	2: WRAY, Thomas
3: SEYDAK, Eamonn	3: MUIR, Paul
4: McLAUGHLIN, Patrick	4: SMITH, Michael
5: QUIGLEY, James	5: WATSON, Albert
6: OGILBY, David	6: McDONNELL, Gavin
7: SEMPLE, Ryan	8: MELAUGH, Gavin
8: LOWRY, Philip	10: KELBIE, Kevin (c)
9: RAMSEY, Kevin	22: COLLIGAN, Lee
10: BROWN, Paul	24: McNEILL, Paul
11: HARKIN, Neil	26: McCLEAN, Craig
Substitutes	-
12: McCLEAN, Ruari	7: YOUNG, George
Not Used	Not Used
13: RYAN, Alan	14: WALSH, Davitt
Not Used	Replaced Paul McNeill (83 mins)
14: MOONEY, Calvin	17: DEANS, Ryan
Replaced Neil Harkin (53 mins)	Not Used
15: RODDY, Sean	19: STEWART, Aaron
Not Used	Not Used
16: CROWN, Greame	21: CUSHLEY, David
Not Used	Replaced Gavin Melaugh (82 mins)
Yellow Cards:	-
RAMSEY, Kevin (61 mins)	None
Red Cards:	-
None	None