High flying Whites no pushovers

George Dunlop and Alan Fraser were interested spectators as Lisburn Distillery booked a quarter-final tie with Bangor following a convincing win over Ballymena United.

The Whites now play host to the First Division outfit after goals from Conor Hagan and Darren Armour put them in the boxseat before Paul Brown's late header created some late interest for the home fans.

The Ballyskeagh men dominated throughout and showed the form that has been so badly lacking in the league.

They came flying out of the blocks with full-back Stuart Thompson stinging William McFrederick's palms with a fierce drive.

The Whites were playing some enterprising football but it was a catastrophic mistake by young defender Craig McClean that gifted Paul Kirk's men the opener on nine minutes.

He doddled in his own half after receiving the ball from Albert Watson allowing Conor Hagan to dispossess him with a sliding tackle. The midfielder surged down on goal and from inside the box slammed a low shot into the far corner.

Ballymena were struggling to get into the game and Rory Hamill let his frustrations boil over on 24 minutes when he was caught late by Wayne Buchanan, with the pair booked by referee David Malcolm.

The sizeable home crowd was growing increasingly frustrated, and it was summed up with the Sky Blues' first 'effort' on goal on 27 minutes, Hamill's shot wide and not very handsome.

Phil Charnock, who had come in for the injured Aidan Watson, showed him the way five minutes later, swivelling 25 yards from goal and Phillip Matthews pulled off a superb diving save.

Only a smart save from McFrederick denied Sean Armstrong 10 minutes before the break. The big striker rose at the back post to head Gareth McKeown's free-kick on goal but the former Fulham stopper reacted well.

On 43 minutes Kevin Kelbie had the ball in the net, slamming it home from 10 yards, but the referee correctly ruled that the ball had crossed the by-line before McClean pulled it back.

Tommy Wright shook things up at the break, bringing on new signing Paul Brown for Vincent Sweeney. But Distillery doubled their advantage on the hour mark.

Gareth McKeown's long throw was only headed out as far as Thompson and on his right foot he slapped a thunderous shot against the woodwork.

Any relief was short-lived as McKeown's low skidding cross back into the box was met with an instinctive flick from close in by Darren Armour giving McFrederick no chance.

It should have been three soon after, a quick McKeown free-kick caught United napping and from eight yards out Armour was only denied this time by a smart save from McFrederick.

United grabbed a lifeline on 82 minutes, Brown bagging his first goal for his new club when he rose highest to head home fellow substitute Garth Scates' corner. United's final chance came in the dying seconds, their best move of the game seeing Stuart King head on Hamill's flick and from 18 yards Kevin Kelbie's volley was pushed away by Matthews.

BALLYMENA UNITED: McFrederick, Donaghy, McClean, Haveron, Watson, Smyth,

Charnock, Hamill, Sweeney, Kelbie, King. Subs: Scates, Rowe, Brown.

LISBURN DISTILLERY: Matthews, McKeown, Ferguson, Thompson, Buchanan, Muir, Gatney, Hagan, Armstrong, Armour, Murphy. Subs: Dickson, McCann, Johnston.

Referee: David Malcolm (Bangor).