There was little to cheer this festive season for Linfield as two Ballymena United crackers from Darren Lockhart and Kevin Kelbie left the Blues' title chances about as rosy as a turkey's on Christmas morning.
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Ballymena United 2 - 0 Linfield
A crazy two minutes before the break handed the Sky Blues a vital win but more worrying for David Jeffrey than the defeat will be the alarming number of chances spurned by his side.
After being denied by a fine Aaron Stewart tackle in the seventh minute, Mark McAllister will only know how he failed to give the visitors the lead two minutes later.
The influential Billy Joe Burns was a real threat from the right hand side and a pinpoint cross was begging to be nodded home by McAllister but the striker who has been struggling for goals failed to find the target.
There was little festive cheer for those brave souls who managed to escape the Christmas shopping on the final Saturday before the big day, with neither keeper called into any action in the opening half hour.
Double punch
It said much that the most effective attacking route was long-throws from either side by Aaron Burns and Billy Joe Burns, and from one of the former's efforts in the 33rd minute Curtis Allen nipped in at the near post but again his header failed to test Sean O'Neill.
The closest the Blues came was when Jamie Mulgrew hit a free-kick past the post in the 42nd minute and then came a classic double punch from United that left Linfield on the ropes.
In the 44th minute, Lee Colligan was left in a heap by Billy Joe Burns and from the free-kick, David Cushley's superb centre was met brilliantly by Darren Lockhart and gave Alan Blayney no chance.
From the restart Ballymena pressed forward again, forcing a corner and from Michael Smith's cross, Chris Ramsey rose highest but with Blayney beaten his looping effort hit the top of the woodwork and bounced to safety.
They hadn't finished just yet and a minute into injury-time they doubled their advantage, with a superbly crafted goal that began with an incredible piece of festive generosity from Jim Ervin.
The normally reliable right-back gave the ball straight to Andy Smith and when he combined with Aidan Watson, the midfielder's deft pass found Kevin Kelbie in the box, his turn left Michael Gault looking into thin air and in the blink of an eye he slammed the ball below Blayney.
Top scorer Paul Munster was introduced at the break to shake things up and it almost worked when he moved cleverly to meet Curtis Allen's corner kick but his header drifted wide of the mark.
There were chances aplenty, McAllister denied by Sean O'Neill's out-stretched leg while Allen's goalbound shot was cleared off the line by Chris Ramsey, while at the other end David Cushley sent a rasping effort off the post, but in the end it was the Sky Blues who will be tucking into their turkey with a smile on their faces.
Ballymena United: O'Neill, M. Smith, Colligan, Ramsey (McConnell 93), Albert Watson, Stewart, Cushley (Surgenor 70), Aidan Watson, A. Smith, Kelbie (Okunaiya 94), Lockhart. Subs not used: Deans, Nelson.
Linfield: Blayney, Ervin, O'Kane (Tomelty 70), BJ Burns, Lindsay, A. Burns (Munster 45), Lowry, Gault, Mulgrew, McAllister, Allen. Subs not used: Douglas, Addis, Garrett.
Referee: Stephen Weatherall (Belfast)
© UTV News