Ten-man Limavady United produced a stunning comeback as they recovered from a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 and claim all three points against Ballymena United.

The Roesiders looked dead and buried inside 15 minutes as Josh Archer and Finley Thorndike gave the Sky Blues a deserved two-goal lead.

But the momentum of the game was to swing in first-half stoppage time as referee Christopher Morrison overruled his assistant's offside flag to allow Jamie McGonigle to race clear and halve the deficit.

Within a minute of the second half Jay Riley had smashed the sides level with a superb long-range effort.

But there was more drama to come as Philip Lowry showed his class with a composed finish to put the hosts in front on 54 minutes and leave Ballymena shell-shocked.

The visitors did rally again and they were given hope as Stephen O'Donnell was dismissed following a tangle with Igor Rutkowski.

But despite losing a man and several late chances fashioned by the Sky Blues the home side dug deep to claim another vital home win.

Limavady United were almost the architects of their own downfall inside two minutes as Adam Mullan's slack pass was seized upon by Thorndike, who slipped a ball inside for Rutkowski, but his shot was blocked by Stephen O'Donnell.

The Sky Blues did make the early breakthrough however as Archer fired them in front on 11 minutes, slamming home from 12 yards after linking up well with Charlie Allen down the right-hand side.

The visitors didn't have long to wait for a second as just four minutes later Thorndike bundled home the loose ball as the home defence dallied after Marty Gallagher had parried Allen's initial effort.

The hosts finally started to impose themselves on the game as we moved towards the break with Lowry glancing a header just wide of the target from a Ronan Wilson cross.

The Roesiders did pull a goal back in first-half stoppage time and in somewhat controversial circumstances as McGonigle was flagged for offside as he raced through and lobbed the advancing David Walsh.

Play was allowed to continue however and the goal was given by referee Morrison much to the consternation of the visitors.

Remarkably within a minute of the second half Limavady United were back level, and in some style, as Riley, who replaced Rodney Brown before the break, picked up a loose ball before smashing in from 25-yards.

The Roesiders weren't done just yet as they stunned Ballymena United further with a third goal on 54 minutes. Lowry nicked the ball off Daithi McCallion before coolly slotting past Walsh to complete an unbelievable turnaround.

Oran Kearney rang the changes with Sean Murray, Stephen Fallon and Michael Leetch all introduced. It was Murray who came closest to drawing his side level as his dipping free-kick had to be tipped over by Gallagher.

There was to be another huge moment with 10 minutes to go as O'Donnell was shown a straight red card following a tussle with Rutkowski outside the box, to raise the tension levels around the Showgrounds further.

The pressure continued to build with Rutkowski and Hood somehow denied from a yard out before Leetch blazed well off target with the last kick of the game much to the relief of the Limavady support.

Ballymena United manager Oran Kearney: "I don't know what the decision is and I'm still puzzled, really really puzzled by it [of McGonigle's opening Limavady goal].

"The midfielder has played the through ball and Fuad [Sule] has tried to intercept it, which I think he's entitled to. He's tried to block the through ball. He's tried to block the pass, he's about 10 yards away from whoever it is who's playing the through ball and he gets studs on it or he gets a bit on the ball but not enough to stop it.

"But Jamie's in an offside position, the linesman flags. The minute the midfielder plays the ball, Jamie's offside so the rest of it is immaterial. It's just a crazy decision which obviously gives them a shot in the arm then you go out at the start of the second half and a minute in, one flies in from 30 yards into the top corner and all of a sudden the game is just totally flipped in its head."

Limavady United manager Paul Owens: "I'm shell-shocked with the actual carnage that went on during the game. I'm delighted and relieved having had to play the last 10 minutes and six additional minutes with only 10 men.

"There wasn't one player in the back four playing their correct position, and we had Philip Lowry in at centre-back putting in blocks. We had a lot of players out today, but I was really disappointed with our start.

"I challenged the boys coming in to show us what we have, and I don't think we did that for the first 15 minutes, but Jamie McGonigle's goal got us back into it. I was confident at half-time we could go on and get something out of it. We got two quick goals and then showed a different side of us to dig in and make sure we got the win."