Smirnoff Irish League Premier Division: Ballymena United 1 Crusaders 2
CRAWFORD McCrae claimed poacher's rights to pull the points out of the fire after a sizzler at the Showgrounds, McRae pouncing with a 90th-minute dramatic winner for Crusaders.
The 27-year-old striker followed in a shot which caught United keeper Robbie Beck off guard from excellent winger Johnny McIvor to post his 13th goal of the season.
A sensational finish, with the match heading into injury time, McCrae’s poaching act sends the Crues level on points at the top of the Premiership with Glentoran, who face Glenavon on New Year's Day. Crusaders are second on goal difference.
Crusaders grabbed the lead on the half hour.
After a strong spell of pressure, ignited time and again by the excellent close control of right winger McIvor and tigerish centre-forward McRae, United’s resistance was finally breached.
McIvor was involved twice, finally pushing the ball into the path of 27-year-old Dublin based midfielder Liam Dunne.
Ballymena produced a rousing response after the break, levelling the match on 55 minutes when ex-Crusaders man Glenn Hunter celebrated the end of his first year with United with a party piece of classic opportunism.
Loughery’s corner wasn’t cleared, and a mistake by Hill left Hunter at the far post to blast a low shot past Davy O’Hare.
Ballymena: Beck, Carlisle, O’Hagan (McGreevy 14,) Allen, McDowell (Hunter, half-time), Percy, Calderwood, Parker, Patton (O’Connell 81), Loughery, Knell (Capt)
Crusaders: O’Hare, Hill, McMullan (Capt) Dunlop, Callaghan, Lockhart (Deegan 35) O’Toole, Dunne, Russell (McBride 89), McCrae, McIvor
Ref: Frank Harte (Newry)
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CORK City claimed the FAI League Cup yesterday after defeating Shamrock Rovers 1- 0 in a tempestuous second leg encounter at Turner’s Cross.
Noel Hartigan superbly volleyed the decisive goal in the 36th minute but the major talking point of the match was the second half sending off of Rovers goalkeeper Tony O’Dowd.
The former Derry City netminder was dismissed in an incident which led to a Cork penalty.
With Robbie Horgan taking the goalkeeping duties, Kelvin Flanagan hit the penalty against a post.
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EX-REDS player James McDonagh kept Distillery in with an outside chance of promotion with a stunning winner six minutes from time at Ballyclare. McDonagh, introduced as a substitute after 61 minutes, rattled the back of the Comrades net with a 20 yard ground shot in the 84th minute for a 1-0 win which keeps Distillery nine points behind division one leaders Ards.
The promotion pace setters maintained their grip on affairs thanks to another strike on target by their prolific marksman Philip Dykes.
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GARETH Turnbull, winner of the BUPA Great North CrossCountry short-course race in Durham last January, has opted out of bidding for back-to-back wins in the event this weekend.
The Belfast man, after consultations with his coach John Morrin, has instead decided to concentrate on his bid to secure a place in the Irish team for the World Indoor Track Championships in March.
Turnbull’s training for the remainder of the winter will be focussed on preparing himself for the summer track season with the primary aim the World Outdoor Championships in Seville during August. However, Turnbull
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MAYNARD Hamilton from the Windsor Club in Belfast is the new Ulster Open Snooker champion.
He defeated 19-year-old Gary Millen of West Belfast Club by six frames to three in the final played at the Windsor Club
The 18-year-old Hamilton took the opening two frames with breaks of 25 and 21 in the first and a 58 and 20 in the second but Millen showed true grit taking the next two including a nice 42 clearance in the third.
Maynard however then took the fifth for an interval lead and he extended this with a 41 clearance in the sixth after Gary had hit a 43.
The West player reduced the deficit after a black ball fight in the seventh frame.
But it was the home club’s player who proved stronger, winning the eighth frame by 60 points before taking the ninth to lift the title.
