Ballymena United boss baffled by five minutes of ‘pure madness’ as Loughgall take victory

Loughgall 5 Ballymena United 2

Ballymena United manager Jim Ervin

Jim Ervin decried the ‘madness’ of a whirlwind five minute period that saw his Ballymena United team hit with a triple whammy that saw them go from leading Loughgall to having the game taken away from them with just over half an hour gone.

The Sky Blues seized the initiative with just 15 minutes gone when Ryan Waide put them in front, but by the 32nd minute they were 3-1 down and reeling.

Conceding a fourth goal within 70 seconds of the second half only served to make matters worse for Ervin, who had been hoping for a reaction after rallying his troops at half time before ultimately slumping to a 5-2 defeat.

“It was five minutes of pure madness,” conceded Ervin.

“We went 1-0 up and I was thinking that we were doing OK, they players were doing what we’d asked them to do and then once Loughgall scored the first goal we almost die in the game.

“It wasn’t good enough. We’re not good enough to allow teams to come back into a game the way we let Loughgall come back into the game today.

“If you’ve been outplayed or carved open you hold your hands up and admit that, but they way we conceded the goals was just mad. Schoolboy stuff. It really is schoolboy stuff.”

Ballymena had clinical in the execution of the opening goal, breaking quickly down the right when Andy McGrory sent the ball forward to Noah Stewart, who burst into the final third with pace and power before delivering a low cross that Waide turned into the net at the near post.

A whirlwind five-minute spell not only saw Loughgall level, but take firm control of the game with a triple whammy that stunned the Sky Blues.

Magee was all alone as he met Jay Boyd’s dangerous cross from the right and tucked the