Release Date: Jan 19, 2013

THREE goals in five minutes at the end of the first half set Crusaders up for a thumping defeat of Ballymena United at Seaview.

It took the Crues 36 minutes to open the scoring after Gary McCutcheon finished off a Paul Heatley delivery from inside the area.

But within two minutes Heatley had doubled their lead when he fired home the rebound from a blocked McCutcheon shot.

And, remarkably, two minutes after that Chris Morrow grabbed a third from the centre circle after lobbing Dwayne Nelson clearance over the United 'keeper.

The scoring continued on the hour courtesy of a header from skipper Colin Coates after he met a Morrow corner.

McCutcheon then added a fifth on 69 minutes with a great finish from a rebound after the ball had been cleared.

The beleagured visitors did grab a 79th minute consolation, however, when Ally Teggart flicked a header from a Tony Kane right-wing cross past 'keeper Jack McCrea.

Match statistics