Ballymena United travel to face Newington Youth in the League Cup Round of 32 on Tuesday night. The match at Solitude kicks off at 7:45pm as the Premiership side look to progress in the competition.
Ballymena United head into the cup tie on the back of a 2-1 league victory over Crusaders FC last Friday. Lyons-Foster scored the winner in that match, which moved the Sky Blues up to sixth place in the Premiership table. They have taken 15 points from their opening 11 league games, a run that includes three wins from their last five outings. Their recent form shows three wins, one draw, and one loss from the last five Premiership matches. This sequence of results, which includes the 2-1 win over Crusaders on Saturday 17 October, a 3-2 loss to Limavady United, a 1-0 win at Cliftonville, a 2-0 victory over Portadown, and a 1-1 draw with Dungannon Swifts, has them sitting 16 points behind the league leaders. The team has scored 17 goals and conceded 15 in the league so far.
The team that drew 1-1 with Dungannon Swifts in late September featured a mix of experience and youth, including defender Toure and midfielder Archer. Archer has been among the goals recently, scoring in the wins over Crusaders and Limavady United. That next league fixture is away to Glentoran on Saturday 24 October.
Ballymena United's defence has been solid this season, conceding only 15 goals. That record will be tested by a Newington side eager to cause an upset. The winners of this tie will advance to the last 16 of the League Cup. The next test for Ballymena United is that trip to The Oval to face Glentoran on Saturday, October 24.
