UNITED'S Reserves progressed to the second round of the Steel and Sons Cup following a dramatic extra time victory over Donard Hospital at the Showgrounds.

United went into this match with a very youthful team with nine of the eleven starters seventeen years of age and they took the match to their Amateur League opponents

They were unlucky on the fifth minute when Neil Lowry seen his first time shot well saved by the Donard Hospital goalkeeper.

With 21 minutes gone the visitors caught the Sky Blues on the counter attack and a goal mouth melee saw the Donard Hospital striker stab the ball home through a ruck of players and this is the way it stayed to the half.

After the half Ballymena came out in an upbeat mood and this paid off as Jamie Davidson turned his marker and slotted it past the Donard keeper to draw the teams level at 1-1.

This gave Ballymena confidence and they kept playing some superb football with Corey Price and John McKee down the wings they were giving the opposition full-backs a torrid time. But against the run of play the Donard midfielder hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net from 30 yards to put them 2-1 up with 12 minutes remaining.

United brought on Paddy Deboys and it wasn't long till he was torturing the defenders with his trickery and he won his team a corner, McKee put in a superb corner only to see it headed to the edge of the box where Craig McDowell the Ballymena centre back hit an unstoppable volley into the corner of the net to send the match into extra time.

Ballymena were becoming more dominant as their Amateur League counterparts were starting to tire and after good play between Fleming and Gillan, Gillan sent Paddy Deboys through on goal where he volleyed it past the out rushing keeper to give the Sky Blues the lead for the first time in the game. Denver Gage was unlucky late on as he hit the cross bar from a corner kick.

Clifford Adams' new look Reserve side now progress to the Second Round of the prestigious Steel and Sons Cup with another home game against Crusaders Reserves awaiting on 27th August.

Ballymena United Reserves: Marc Maybin, Aaron Harris (sub Eoin Gillan 67), Denver Gage, Craig McDowell, Daniel Agnew, Johnnie McKee, Jamie Fleming, David Reid, Jamie Davidson (sub Patrick Deboys 78), Neil Lowry, Michael Smith (sub Corey Price 35). Subs (not used): Caolan Gillan, Peter Duffin.

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