Ballymena secure place in Irish Cup final despite red card after brawl

Ballymena's entry into the final of the Irish Cup may be marred after a fight on the pitch saw Kym Nelson sent off.

Despite being a man down, the side secured a 1-0 victory over Newry City in Tuesday's semi-final at Mourneview.

David Jeffrey's men will meet Crusaders in the final in 11 days.

The game got off to a quiet start however it wasn't long into the second half when Steven McCullough opened the scoreboard.

That stunning free kick in the 52nd minute saw the ball land in the top corner of the net to give the Sky Blues the lead.

Later, a rough tackle from Ballymena's Brendan Barr was followed by a brawl in the middle of the pitch involving multiple players from both sides.

While Barr received a yellow card, the referee produced a red for teammate Kym Nelson for his part in the melee.

Newry's Darren King and Lorcan Forde were also penalised as a result.

With an extra man advantage, Newry pushed for an equaliser but struggled to find a chance in the closing minutes of the game.

The Irish Cup final is scheduled to take place at Windsor Park on 7 May.