Sixth round draw

Justin McBride missed a first half penalty while the Braidmen also had goalkeeper Robert Robinson sent off after a clash with Coagh's Dean Smith.

Coagh player Smith was then red-carded himself four minutes before the break after a bad tackle.

Ballymena missed several second half chances prior to Kearney's late goal.

Those off-target included Justin McBride and Rory Hamill.

At the other end, stand-in goalkeeper Gordon Simms had little to do but Coagh still seemed set to earn a battling draw but Kearney had other ideas.

Coleraine produced an impressive opening cup outing by hammering Carrick Rangers 5-1.

Bryce Moon put Coleraine ahead with a third minute goal at Taylor's Avenue after Ricky Culbertson and Ian Young had failed to clear.

Two Sean Armstrong goals (15 and 41) were split by a Pat McAllister effort as Marty Quinn's side went in 4-0 ahead at the interval.

Ross Hagan pulled a goal back for Carrick in the 58th minute but Barry Curran restored Coleraine's four-goal advantage two minutes later.

Cliftonville manager Liam Beckett

Crusaders also progressed to the sixth round by grafting out a 1-0 win at Omagh Town.

Johnny Shaw had an early chance for Crusaders but Omagh's on-loan Derry City player Gerard Gill made a brilliant clearance.

The winning goal came in the 63rd minute with Colin Magill hitting the target from the penalty spot after he himself had been pulled down by Omagh goalkeeper Dermot McKeogh.

Lisburn Distillery had little difficulty accounting for juniors Ballinamallard 4-1 at Ballyskeagh.

Darren Armour (13) and John Martin (28) goals put Distillery 2-0 up but Leon Carters pulled a goal back for Ballinamallard in the 31st minute.

However, Conor Hagan restored Distillery's two-goal lead in the 51st minute and John Martin struck his second goal of the afternoon in the 66th minute.

Loughgall endured some anxious moments against Donegal Celtic before eventually hammering the west Belfast side 5-1.

Alan Emerson missed three great early chances for Loughgall but at the other, Paul McVeigh headed a chance straight at goalkeeper Marc Robinson and was then denied by a superb save by the home custodian.

Emerson did make up for his earlier misses by striking Loughgall ahead on the stroke of half-time but Celtic were level two minutes after the break as a result of a Glenn Waddell own goal.

However, Emerson restored Loughgall's lead in the 54th minute and the home side stretched their lead thanks to goals by Stephen Coulter (63), Clifford Sterritt (76) and Ali Wilson (90).

Fifth round results
Linfield 1-1 Institute