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Would The Real Ballymena United, Please Stand-up?

Ballymena United - the enigma club of local football.

Only four days ago I watched them stage a thrilling comeback to topple fancied Larne at Warden Street. Tonight they simply didn’t turn up.

Cliftonville will have few easier semi-finals. Normally these are real pressure games, tight and often decided by a solitary error or piece of brilliance. Tonight’s occasion was far from typical.

The Reds barely had to break sweat. They weren’t at the top of their game themselves, it simply wasn’t necessary, and when Paul O’Neill’s air-shot sent the Ballymena defence off on a picnic, Ryan Curran had the simple task of applying the finishing touch from close-range.