A David Rainey header nine minutes after the break when he found himself unmarked at the back post from a Martin Donnelly free-kick proved to be the difference between the sides at Seaview.

Ballymoney might have taken a first half lead, though, when Adam McKinney just failed to get a touch to a David Gage cross on 27 minutes while Trevor McLernon later forced Aaron Kerr into a superb save.

For the Crues Gareth McKeown sent a couple of early chances wide and Colin Coates missed from close range in the dying moments of the game but that 54th minute Rainey header proved enough to earn Stephen McBride's men a trip to either Ballymena or Ballyclare in the next round.