Honours even in Premiership's bottom of the table clash between Newry City and 10-man Ballymena United

​They headed into the encounter level on points with hosts Newry sitting bottom on goal difference after both picked up impressive draws against top-six opposition last weekend.

Gary Boyle’s side almost took an early lead through Lorcan Forde, who was denied by a last ditch sliding block from Steven McCullough before Brian Healy had an attempt on goal saved by the legs of Sean O’Neill.

In a back and forth first-half which was played at a good tempo despite conditions underfoot, former Newry loanee Donal Rocks, now at Ballymena, unleashed a shot from distance which required Steven Maguire’s intervention.

Sky Blues striker Isaac Westendorf has a couple of opportunities to put his side ahead prior to the break, firstly when his heavy touch allowed Maguire to smother the ball when through on goal before Barney McKeown slid in to deny the 22-year-old after he’d rounded the goalkeeper.

Ballymena were reduced to 10 men in the 67th minute when Lewis Tennant was shown a straight red for his lunging tackle on Newry substitute Adam Carroll and from there the hosts were able to dominate possession with the numerical advantage.

Thomas Lockhart flashed an effort wide from the edge of the box before Boyle rolled the dice in search of a winning goal by introducing striker Lee Newell in place of Darren King, but despite late pressure, they were unable to find it.

The draw marked just a second home point of the season for Newry, who haven’t won any of their last nine league games, while Ballymena’s winless run extended to seven.

Both teams remain three points adrift of 10th-placed Dungannon Swifts, who travel to Linfield on Saturday, in the race for Premiership survival.

Newry will taken on the Swifts in their rearranged BetMcLean Cup quarter-final at Stangmore Park on Tuesday evening and Ballymena host Carrick Rangers next Friday night.