THE home side opened the scoring in the 12th minute from the penalty spot.

Scott Irvine was brought down in the box and Nicky Sharples converted the spot kick.

The visitors suffered another blow in the 32nd minute, when Johnny Roy was sent off for a rash tackle on Gary Brown.

However, they reacted well to this set-back and grabbed an equaliser in the 45th minute when Stephen Garrett converted from close range, after getting on the end of a ball across the six-yard box.

The second half saw Comrades step up their play to make the man advantage count.

In the 55th minute they regained the lead when Mark McClelland scrambled the ball over the line from a corner.

Then, in the 75th minute, after being set up by Lee Rushe, Keith Armstrong's lofted effort from the edge of the box beat keeper Mateer to increase the home side's lead.

Comrades maintained their advantage to the final whistle, despite the sending off of Lee Rushe, in the 87th minute, for abusive language.

Ballyclare Comrades: Glendinning, Reid, A. Hill, McCullough, Wharry, Armstrong, Irvine, Simms, McClelland, Sharples, Brown subs Rushe (replaced Brown 71), P. Logue (not used), Holland (not used), Bond (not used), McDowell (replaced Irvine 80)

Knockbreda: Mateer, Curley, J. Roy, Burns, McMenamin, Montgomery, McCracken, Watters, Chines, Wright, Garrett subs Johnston (not used), Young (replaced McCracken 57), Clarke (replaced Montgomery 65), Corry (replaced Watters 80), Campbell (not used)