Brilliant Ballymena shock Blues to lay down early marker

Ballymena United began the new Irish Premiership season with a dominant 3–0 win at Windsor Park against Linfield. The victory came with an unusually lopsided scoreline for the opening Saturday, marking Ballymena’s first time scoring three goals at Windsor since Boxing Day 1973. After Oran Kearney made an early reshaping of the squad—signing 11 and letting 18 depart in his first full summer—five former Linfield players debuted in Belfast and quickly delivered. Chris McKee scored twice within the opening hour in his first Premiership start against his old club, and Success Edogun added a third. Josh Archer urged the team to match the performance “every week,” with Ballymena next facing Crusaders.