Ballymena United beat Linfield 3-0 in the Premiership opener on Saturday, August 8th. The away side took control early and never looked back. Linfield, sitting third in the table, started with confidence but found themselves chasing the game.
C. McKee opened the scoring in the 11th minute, and here's the thing - Linfield had no answer. By then, the hosts were already on the back foot. C. McKee added a second goal in the 59th minute to put Ballymena firmly in command.
S. Edogun made it three in the 69th minute. Linfield made changes trying to get back into it, bringing on R. Nolan in the 63rd minute, then K. Offord and E. McGee in the 74th and 77th minutes. They gave up the ball and hit them on the break too often.
C. McKee came off in the 85th minute, having been the star of the show. S. Edogun was also substituted in the 77th minute. Linfield never got going.
The statistics tell a story of dominance. Both sides had equal possession at 0.5, but Ballymena were more clinical. They registered three shots on target compared to Linfield's one. Linfield managed 58 attacks to Ballymena's 50, but the difference was in conversion.
The result shifts the table dynamics considerably. Linfield drop from four points after five games to now face questions about their season. Ballymena move from ninth with four points after four games. They extend a run that included beating Portstewart 5-1 and Carrick Rangers 3-0.