| ROUND FOUR - Saturday, 28th January, 1989 - New Grosvenor Park |
| DISTILLERY 1 |
| (Surgeon '83) |
| BALLYMENA UNITED 4 |
| (Curry '17; Pyper '42; McKee '51; Simpson '?) |
| Team: Grant, Hamilton, Smyth, Garrett, Heron, S. Young, McKee, Curry, Loughery, Pyper, Doherty (sub Simpson 65). Sub (not used): Scott. |
| Match Description: Ballymena progressed past the first hurdle in easy fashion with a very comfortable win over Distillery at New Grosvenor Park. Linsday Curry buried a brilliant header on 17 minutes and Billy Pyper made it two after 42 mins. John McKee chipped a third in the 51st minute while substitute Ricky Simpson fired home a rebound to complete the rout - Michael Surgeon got a late consolation for the home side. |
| ROUND FIVE - Saturday, 18th February, 1989 - Dixon Park |
| BALLYCLARE COMRADES 2 |
| (Dunlop '17; Tabb '32) |
| BALLYMENA UNITED 2 |
| (Hardy '4; Pyper '14) |
| Team: Grant, Hamilton, Smyth, Garrett, Heron, S. Young, McKee, Curry (sub Loughery 72), Pyper, Hardy, Doherty (sub Scott 78) |
| Match Description: In a match played in dreadful conditions Ballymena United threw away a two goal lead to force a replay. Firstly, Darren Crawforc couldn't hold Lindsay Curry's cross and Paul Hardy happily tapped home after four minutes. Ten minutes later Billy Pyper made it two after finding Curry's pass on the edge of the box. Soon after the home side pulled a goal back from Peter Dunlop, and on 32 minutes Gerry Tabb headed home the equalising goal as the score remained a draw after 90 minutes. |
| ROUND FIVE REPLAY - Wednesday, 1st March, 1989 - Ballymena Showgrounds |
| BALLYMENA UNITED 5 |
| (Pyper '17,'65; Hardy '30; McKee '63, Doherty '71) |
| BALLYCLARE COMRADES 1 |
| (Clarke '78) |
| Team: Grant, Hamilton, Smyth, Garrett, Heron, Scott, McKee, Curry, Pyper, Hardy, Doherty. Subs Loughery, T. Young. |
| Match Description: ... |
| QUARTER-FINAL - Saturday, 11th March, 1989 - Seaview |
| CRUSADERS 2 |
| (Greene '32; Keery '89) |
| BALLYMENA UNITED 3 |
| (Curry '?,'55; Hardy '72) |
| Team: Grant, Hamilton (sub T. Young 40), Smyth, Garrett, Heron, Scott, McKee, Curry, Pyper, Hardy, Doherty (sub Loughery 68). |
| Match Description: Stephen Greene took the lead for Crusaders in a bad tempered cup tie at Seaview, however the Sky Blues equalised on the stroke of half-time as Roy Walker gave away a penalty after handling the ball - and Lindsay Curry duly dispatched the resulting spot kick. Ten minutes after the interval, it was Curry again who put Ballymena in front, capitalising on a Crusaders mistake. Paul Hardy sealed the win on 72 minutes, heading home Curry's corner. David Keery pulled one back for the Crues, but it was enough to send the Braidmen through the the semi-finals. |
| SEMI-FINAL - ? - The Oval |
| BALLYMENA UNITED 1 |
| (Hardy '?) |
| LINFIELD 1 |
| (Baxter '36) |
| Team: Grant, Scott, Smyth, Garrett, Heron, S. Young, McKee (sub Loughery 68), Curry, Pyper, Hardy, Doherty. Sub (not used): Simpson. |
| Match Description: ... |
|
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| SEMI-FINAL REPLAY - ? - The Oval |
| LINFIELD 1 |
| (...) |
| BALLYMENA UNITED 2 |
| (Doherty; Hardy) |
| Team: ... |
| Match Description: ... |
|
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| FINAL - Saturday, 6th May, 1989 - The Oval - Attendance: 5,000 |
| BALLYMENA UNITED 1 |
| (Hardy '73) |
| LARNE 0 |
| - |
| Ballymena United: Grant, Scott, Smyth, Garrett, Heron, S. Young, McKee, Curry, Pyper, Hardy, Doherty (sub Simpson 64). Sub (not used): Loughery. |
| Larne: Magee, McMullan, Huston, Carland, Spiers, Bustard, Murphy, Kernohan, Smith (sub McDonald 49), Sloan, Smyth (sub Hannan 76). | Referee: A. Ritchie (Carrickfergus) |
| Match Description: Ballymena United lifted their sixth Irish Cups in font of a sun-drenched Oval crowd, as a single goal from Larne native Paul Hardy sealed victory. A drab affair throughout, but the game was settled through a moment of brilliance as in the 73 minute, Paul Hardy cheekily backhealed a low cross past Vince Magee in the Larne goal. This sealed the Irish Cup for Alec McKee's side and a place in Europe for the following season. |
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