BALLYMENA United stretched their unbeaten run to six games with this draw at home to Dungannon Swifts.

The visitors might have snatched an early lead when Johnny Topley sent a header just wide from a Ryan O'Neill right-wing cross.

United were thwarted at the other end by 'keeper Niall Morgan when he produced a double stop to deny Alan Davidson and Ally Teggart.

The deadlock was broken on 33 minutes when Michael Funston finished from a Marc Brolly lay-off despite home claims that 'keeper Dwayne Nelson had been bundled over.

But United levelled in first half stoppage time after a Rory Carson corner from the left wasn't cleared by the Swifts defence allowing Gary McCutcheon to tap it home at the far post.

Ballymena were reduced to ten men with 13 minutes remaining when Tony Kane was shown a straight red card following a challenge on John Paul Gallagher.

Ballymena United: Nelson, Kane, Black, A. Davidson, McCutcheon, Jenkins, Carson, Teggart, Munster, Taylor, Rodgers subs Stewart (not used), Taggart (replaced A. Davidson 68), Costello (replaced Carson 46), J. Davidson (replaced Teggart 81), Lowry (not used)

Dungannon Swifts: Morgan, O'Neill, Montgomery, E. Friars, Gallagher, Funston, Harpur, Fitzpatrick, Topley, Ward, Brolly subs S. Lavery (replaced Funston 85), S. Friars (replaced Ward 61), McMinn (not used), Murphy (not used), C. Forker (not used)

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• Johnny Taylor and Marc Brolly (Picture: Gareth Irvine/PressEye.com)