Manager Roy Walker started with the same eleven that produced Tuesday night's impressive victory over Cliftonville in a match which also seen goalkeeper Alvin Rouse face up against the Sky Blues a week after the club were fined in the race row over the fixture at Stangmore Park in August.

The Braidmen had the best of the early running at the Showgrounds with Andy Smith and David Cushley both having early attempts which failed to test the Barbados international, Rouse.

It was following the latter's effort on 25 minutes that the game sprung into life. Rouse's long kick forward travelled the length of the pitch towards the United penalty area and in an innocuous challenge between Darren Lockhart and Swifts' Shane Coney; referee Raymond Crangle bizzarely pointed to the penalty spot, even though the altercation had happend outside of the area.

To make matters worse the Belfast based official instantly brandished a straight red card to Lockhart, becoming the third United player to be sent-off by Mr. Crangle this season alone. Neil McCafferty cooly dispatched the resulting penalty to put the Tyrone side into the lead with his sixth goal of the season.

With the home side now chasing the game Noel Anderson's stinging attempt fell comfortably into Rouse's hands, but it was the Swifts that nearly doubled their lead when Timmy Adamson showed excellent control to escape Archie Stewart but fired his effort well over the bar from 15 yards. The former Linfield striker again went close but Ballymena custodian Dwayne Nelson parried the ball away at his near post.

United came out in the second half and were almost relentless in their persuit of the equaliser and should have been gifted a penalty of their own early in the half. David Cushley's free-kick was deflected away by the outswinging elbow of Adam McMinn but despite United calls for a penalty, Crangle waved play on.

Gavin Taggart then went close when his powerful low drive from outside the box forced a sharp save from the travelling goalkeeper, after they had failed to properly clear a corner.

The Caribbean keeper was back in action again moments later when David Cushley's low drive across the face of goal gave full-back Lee Colligan a glorious opportunity but was thwarted by the outstretched leg of Rouse.

With five minutes remaining Rouse completed a trio of incredible saves during a period of sustained Ballymena pressure, substitute George Stewart crossed from the right for Nathan McConnell whose seemingly goalbound header was clawed around the post.

The game finished with Dungannon Swifts winning by their solitary controversial goal as the Sky Blues lose more ground on the top six, and Roy Walker wasn't in a talkative mood post-match.

"My summation was - referee terrible; their goalkeeper excellent", the United boss told the gathered press.

Picture: www.presseye.com

Teams:

BALLYMENA UNITED	DUNGANNON SWIFTS
1: NELSON, Dwayne	1: ROUSE, Alvin
2: RAMSEY, Chris	2: MULLAN, Ryan
3: COLLIGAN, Lee	3: McCLEAN, Craig
4: STEWART, Aaron	4: MONTGOMERY, Jonny
5: ANDERSON, Noel	5: McMINN, Adam
6: TAGGART, Gavin	6: McCANN, Marc
7: SMITH, Michael	7: McCAFFERTY, Neil
8: CUSHLEY, David	8: EMERSON, Alain
9: SMITH, Andy	9: ADAMSON, Timmy
10: McCONNELL, Nathan	10: CONEY, Shane
11: LOCKHART, Darren	11: McILMOYLE, Ryan
Substitutes	-
12: STEWART, George	12: McAREE, Rodney
Replaced Gavin Taggart (67 mins)	Replaced Alain Emerson (64 mins)
13: SURGENOR, Mark	13: MORGAN, Niall
Not Used	Not Used
14: DEANS, Ryan	14: FORKER, Conor
Not Used	Replaced Shane Coney (54 mins)
15: McNEILL, Paul	15: FITZPATRICK, Gary
Not Used	Replaced Marc McCann (61 mins)
16: O'NEILL, Sean	16: McALISKEY, Fergal
Not Used	Not Used
Yellow Cards:	-
Unknown	Unknown
Red Cards:	-
LOCKHART, Darren (25 mins)	None