Referee Paddy McFadden was taken off on a stretcher

Beckett picked up a manager of the month prize after Cliftonville's fine start to the season but since then things have taken a downturn.

A Rodney McAree penalty had them behind after just three minutes at Stangmore.

Timmy Adamson and Gary Bownes made it 3-0 to Dungannon before Ciaran McMullan's goal for Cliftonville.

There was controversy after the match when Cliftonville announced they would be complaining about not having a say in the choice of replacement referee.

Match official Paddy McFadden had to be carried off after sustaining a leg injury and his place was taken by one of the assistant referees with the score a 2-0.

Cliftonville said they would be lodging a protest over not being consulted about the substitute referee.

McAree's penalty was awarded for clumsy challenge on David Scullion by Keith Mulvenna.

The Swifts went two up four minutes before the break through Adamson and a low strike from the edge of the area from Bownes made it 3-0 on 77 minutes.

McMullan got the Reds goal deep into stoppage-time.

Daily Mirror Irish Premier League
Ballymena United 2-2 Ards

		P	GD	PTS
1	Cliftonville	23	16	43
2	Glentoran	25	9	43
3	Crusaders	26	0	43
4	Linfield	23	20	42
5	Dungannon Swifts	25	3	40
6	Coleraine	23	16	39
7	Portadown	23	16	31
8	Glenavon	24	-10	30
9	Newry	25	-20	27
10	Ballymena	24	-8	26
11	Institute	22	-12	20
12	Lisburn Distillery	23	-32	14