A goal from teenager Conor Burns sent Ballymena United through to the County Antrim Shield semi-finals after a 1-0 victory over Crusaders at Seaview. The 17-year-old's decisive strike in the second half gave his team a measure of payback for a league defeat to the same opponents earlier in the season. The win offers a positive moment for manager Jim Ervin's squad, which has been successful in three of its last four outings across all tournaments. The cup success books a semi-final meeting with Dundela, a Championship club that caused an upset by defeating Irish Premiership title holders Larne in a penalty shootout.
Dundela created a major surprise by knocking out Larne following a 1-1 draw at Wilgar Park. Mark Randall put Dundela ahead after the break before Kyle Owens converted a late penalty to send the match to spot-kicks. In the shootout, Randall was the lone player to fail to score, and Dundela triumphed 5-3.
In the remaining quarter-final matches, Cliftonville defeated Glentoran 1-0 at Solitude with Ben Quinn getting the goal, while Bangor secured a 3-1 victory over Ards in the north Down derby. The semi-final pairings are now set, with Ballymena United to face Dundela and Cliftonville to take on Bangor.
This story first appeared at bbc.com
