Match Reports:-
Coca Cola Cup 1998
Larne 2-3 Ballymena United (Coca-Cola Cup first round) (Tuesday, 3rd
February, 1998)
DECLAN'S STRIKE IS A WINNER
A goal three minutes into injury time from Declan McGreevy booked
Ballymena's place in the next round of the Coca-Cola Cup.
It was a hard-earned victory for the Braidmen, who at one time were 2-0
ahead of their opponents.
Ballymena took the lead after 13 minutes when Hunter's through-ball found
Boyd, who showed good control before rifling it low into the net.
Eight minutes later the same player added the second.
Picking up a short corner from Loughery, he raced across the edge of the box
before unleashing an unstoppable drive into the net.
Five minutes before the break, Larne got back into the game.
A cross from the right by Craig fell to Harrison, whose close-range header
nipped just inside Beck's left-hand post.
Larne levelled the scores 11 minutes into the second half.
A clearance out of defence fell to O'Hagan, who knocked the ball forward to
McDowell ... and his shot from 40 yards looped over Beck and sailed into the
net.
It was anybody's game after that, and it looked odds-on extra-time until the
Larne defence failed to clear Loughery's cross. That allowed McGreevy to
head into the net from six yards' distance.
Team: Mills, Craig, O'Hagan, Muldoon, McKinstry, McDowell, Looney,
Taylor,
McQuillan, Harrison, Lowry subs: Loughlin, Mellon
Referee: David Chambers (Belfast)
