Ballymena United vs Crusaders: form, goals and key statistics

Key match information

Ballymena United played Crusaders in NIFL Premiership (Northern Ireland). The match was played on 22 November 2025. Final score: 2:2.

Current form

Ballymena United: 1-0-4, 0.60 points/match. Crusaders: 2-0-3, 1.20 points/match.

Goal statistics

Ballymena United scores 1.27 and concedes 1.47 goals per match. Crusaders scores 1.57 and concedes 1.93. League average: 2.69 goals.

BTTS / Over / Under

BTTS: Ballymena United 40%, Crusaders 57%. Over 2.5: Ballymena United 40%, Crusaders 71%. League level: BTTS 45%, Over 2.5 49%.

xG, shots and style

Crusaders has higher xG: 1.26 vs 1.13. Ballymena United: 8.5 shots per match, Crusaders: 10.6.

Match halves

Ballymena United: half-time lead 33%, second-half goals 0.80. Crusaders: half-time lead 43%, second-half goals 0.79.

Goals by minute

Ballymena United: 61-75 (6 goals). Crusaders: 61-75 (5 goals). This is historical distribution, not a predicted goal minute.

League context

NIFL Premiership: 2.69 goals per match, BTTS 45%, Over 2.5 49%.

Head-to-head

Before this fixture, 1 previous H2H matches were available: 0-1-0. Average goals 2.00, BTTS 100%.

Half-by-half

1 : 2
1st half
1 : 0
2nd half

Match statistics

48Possession (%)52
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
30Shots10
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
11Shots on target3
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
3.27xG1.28
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
6Corners1
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
86Dangerous attacks59
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
11Fouls13
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
1Cards1
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

Pre-match profilewhat do the season numbers say?

This is a team profile based on season data and form. Match-flow statistics are shown only after the fixture is played.

Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
1.27Goals scored / match1.57
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
1.47Goals conceded / match1.93
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
43%Average possession52%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
3.33Shots on target / match3.86
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

Team statswho is more efficient?

Attack and defence comparison for both teams in the current season.

8.47Shots per match10.64
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
3.33Shots on target3.86
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
15%Shot conversion14.8%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
43%Possession52%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
1.13xG for1.26
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
1.45xG against1.84
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

Shooting quality

Ballymena United: Counter-attackingCrusaders: Efficient finishing
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
Accuracy (shots on target)39%36%
Chance quality (xG per shot)0.130.12
Finishing (goals per shot on target)0.380.41

xG per shot around 0.08 usually means long-range attempts; 0.15+ usually means box chances. The style label comes from possession, shot volume and conversion.

* xG (expected goals) says how many goals a team should score from its chances. If actual goals are above xG, finishing is above average; if below xG, chances are being missed.

Team formwho is in better shape?

Last five matches and season record, overall and split by home and away matches.

Crusaders is 100% better for: last-5 form.

0.6 pts / match - Ballymena United · 1.2 pts / match - Crusaders

Ballymena United
LLLLW
Season result split
40% W7% D53% L
Season (W-D-L)
6-1-8
1.27 pts / match · goal difference -3
Last 5 (W-D-L)
1-0-4
0.60 pts / match
Record at home (W-D-L)
2-0-4
Last 5 at home
1-0-4
LWLLL
Last 5 matches - averages
Goals scored: 1.0Goals conceded: 2.2xG: 0.89Opponent xG: 1.57BTTS: 60%Over 2.5: 60%
Crusaders
LLLWW
Season result split
36% W7% D57% L
Season (W-D-L)
5-1-8
1.14 pts / match · goal difference -5
Last 5 (W-D-L)
2-0-3
1.20 pts / match
Record away (W-D-L)
4-0-4
Last 5 away
2-0-3
LWLLW
Last 5 matches - averages
Goals scored: 1.8Goals conceded: 1.8xG: 1.25Opponent xG: 1.75BTTS: 80%Over 2.5: 80%

Goalshow do both teams score and concede?

How many goals both teams score and concede, plus how often they keep a clean sheet or fail to score.

Crusaders is 24% better for: goals scored per match.

1.27 goals / match - Ballymena United · 1.57 goals / match - Crusaders

Ballymena United is 31% better for: goals conceded per match.

1.47 goals / match - Ballymena United · 1.93 goals / match - Crusaders

Ballymena United scoring profile: very strong

Ballymena United scores in 67% of matches (10 of 15 matches), while Crusaders keeps a clean sheet in 14% (2 of 14 matches).

Crusaders scoring profile: strong

Crusaders scores in 71% of matches (10 of 14 matches), while Ballymena United keeps a clean sheet in 27% (4 of 15 matches).

19Goals scored (season)22
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
22Goals conceded (season)27
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
2.73Average goals in match3.5
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
5Goals scored (last 5)9
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
11Goals conceded (last 5)9
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

How often they score at least...

67%1 goal71%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
40%2 goals50%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
13%3 goals29%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
7%4 goals7%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

How often they concede at least...

73%1 goal86%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
60%2 goals57%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
13%3 goals29%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
0%4 goals21%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

* Statistics include both teams' home and away matches in the current season.

Both teams scored (BTTS)how often do both teams score?

How often both teams' matches have goals on both sides, compared with the league average.

45%
League average

Goal patterns

7%BTTS at half-time14%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
0%BTTS in both halves0%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
33%Scored in both halves36%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

BTTS and goal count

33%Min. 3 goals and BTTS50%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
7%Min. 3 goals without BTTS21%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
60%BTTS - last 580%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

Goal count (Over/Under)how often do these matches cross the goal lines?

How often matches involving these teams clear goal thresholds, in the full match and in each half.

1st half

87%Min. 1 goal before half-time86%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
40%Min. 2 goals before half-time43%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
0%Min. 3 goals before half-time21%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

2nd half

73%Min. 1 goal after half-time93%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
47%Min. 2 goals after half-time64%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
13%Min. 3 goals after half-time21%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

Match halveswhen do the teams score more often?

How teams split performance between first and second half: goals, points, clean sheets and half-time state.

Crusaders is 19% better for: first-half form (half-time points).

1.2 pts / match - Ballymena United · 1.43 pts / match - Crusaders

Ballymena United - half-time state
33% leading20% draw47% trailing
Crusaders - half-time state
43% leading14% draw43% trailing

Before half-time (1st half)

1.2Points per match (1st half)1.43
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
0.47Goals scored (1st half)0.79
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
0.8Goals conceded (1st half)0.86
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
1.27Average goals (1st half)1.64
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
47%Clean sheet before half-time43%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
60%No goal before half-time57%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

After half-time (2nd half)

1.33Points per match (2nd half)1.29
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
0.8Goals scored (2nd half)0.79
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
0.67Goals conceded (2nd half)1.07
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
1.47Average goals (2nd half)1.86
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
53%Clean sheet after half-time29%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders
40%No goal after half-time36%
Ballymena UnitedCrusaders

Ballymena United - second-half results

27% W53% D20% L
18
Half-time points
7
Half-time goals
-5
Goal difference (1st half)
20
Second-half points
+2
Goal difference (2nd half)
1.20
PPG before half-time
Lead holding121%

Leads at half-time in 33% of matches and wins 40%. Also wins matches without a half-time lead.

Defence after half-time-0.1

Defence stays stable across the full match.

Crusaders - second-half results

29% W43% D29% L
20
Half-time points
11
Half-time goals
-1
Goal difference (1st half)
18
Second-half points
-4
Goal difference (2nd half)
1.43
PPG before half-time
Lead holding84%

Leads at half-time in 43% of matches and wins 36%. Usually protects the lead until full-time.

Defence after half-time+0.2

Concedes 0.2 more goals per match after half-time - defensive level drops in the second half.

Ballymena United - last 5 matches by half
1st half2nd half
Points per match0.600.80
Goals scored / match0.20.8
Goals conceded / match1.21.0
Average goals in match1.41.8
1 goal100%80%
2 goals40%60%
3 goals0%20%
Clean sheet20%20%
No goal80%40%
Goal difference-5-1
Half-time: 20% leading - 0% draw - 80% trailing
2nd half: 0% won - 80% draw - 20% lost
BTTS at half-time (last 5): 0% - Half-time goals total: 1
Crusaders - last 5 matches by half
1st half2nd half
Points per match1.401.20
Goals scored / match0.61.2
Goals conceded / match0.41.4
Average goals in match1.02.6
1 goal80%100%
2 goals20%100%
3 goals0%40%
Clean sheet60%0%
No goal60%20%
Goal difference+1-1
Half-time: 40% leading - 20% draw - 40% trailing
2nd half: 20% won - 60% draw - 20% lost
BTTS at half-time (last 5): 0% - Half-time goals total: 3

* Colours in tables show event frequency: green is common, yellow is moderate, red is rare. It is frequency, not a team rating.

Goals by minutewhen do goals arrive?

Match phases in which both teams most often score and concede.

Ballymena United
ScoredConceded
1
4
0-15
3
5
16-30
3
3
31-45
3
3
46-60
6
2
61-75
3
5
76-90

Most dangerous in minutes 61-75 (6 goals). Concedes most in 16-30 (5). Late-goal balance (76-90): -2 - late phases are a weakness.

Crusaders
ScoredConceded
4
2
0-15
3
2
16-30
4
8
31-45
3
4
46-60
5
3
61-75
3
8
76-90

Most dangerous in minutes 61-75 (5 goals). Concedes most in 31-45 (8). Late-goal balance (76-90): -5 - late phases are a weakness.

* Buckets 31-45 and 76-90 include added-time goals.

Additional team indicatorswhat do xG, efficiency and form show?

A comparison of chance quality, results and trends based on completed matches from the current season.

Match profile

3.12
Estimated goals
attack vs opponent defence
1.6 : 1.5
Estimated goal split
home : away
116%
Pace vs league
100% = league average
49%
Both teams scored (BTTS)
average from both teams' seasons
-36%
Derby effect
H2H goals vs typical matches
48%
BTTS estimate
from both teams' scoring frequency
10%
0:0 risk
about 1 in 10 matches
2-3
Most common goal range
attack vs defence on both sides

Ballymena United

Net xG balance
Difference between the quality of chances created and allowed per match.
-0.32
Results compared with xG
Difference between the actual goal balance and the balance suggested by xG.
+0.12
Points compared with goal balance
Comparison between collected points and the points implied by the team's goal balance.
-0.2 pts
Finishing efficiency
Does the team convert chances? Positive means it scores more than the quality of chances suggests.
+0.14
Defensive efficiency
Does the defence or goalkeeper save the team? Positive means it concedes less than the chances allowed suggest.
-0.02
Attack vs league
How much the team scores compared with the league average for this role. 120% means 20% above average.
88%
Defence vs league
How much the team concedes compared with the league average. 80% means 20% fewer goals conceded.
119%
Form trend
Compares points from the last 5 matches with the whole-season average.
-0.67
Stronger second half?
How many more goals the team scores after half-time than before it.
+0.3
Late goals
16% of this team's goals come in minutes 76-90. For comparison, 5% come in the first quarter-hour.
16%

Crusaders

Net xG balance
Difference between the quality of chances created and allowed per match.
-0.58
Results compared with xG
Difference between the actual goal balance and the balance suggested by xG.
+0.22
Points compared with goal balance
Comparison between collected points and the points implied by the team's goal balance.
-0.8 pts
Finishing efficiency
Does the team convert chances? Positive means it scores more than the quality of chances suggests.
+0.31
Defensive efficiency
Does the defence or goalkeeper save the team? Positive means it concedes less than the chances allowed suggest.
-0.09
Attack vs league
How much the team scores compared with the league average for this role. 120% means 20% above average.
127%
Defence vs league
How much the team concedes compared with the league average. 80% means 20% fewer goals conceded.
133%
Form trend
Compares points from the last 5 matches with the whole-season average.
+0.06
Stronger second half?
How many more goals the team scores after half-time than before it.
0.0
Late goals
14% of this team's goals come in minutes 76-90. For comparison, 18% come in the first quarter-hour.
14%

* The estimated goal total and split, BTTS estimate, 0:0 risk and goal range are calculated from public season averages and frequencies for both teams. This is a statistical match profile, not a private model prediction or betting pick. The remaining indicators describe completed matches from the season.

League contextis this a high-scoring league?

How both teams compare with league-wide averages (NIFL Premiership).

Teams vs league

Ballymena UnitedLigaCrusaders
Average goals in match 2.732.69 3.50
Both teams scored 40%45% 57%
Min. 3 goals (Over 2.5) 40%49% 71%
Clean sheets 27%29% 14%
Goal before half-time 87%77% 86%
Goal after half-time 73%78% 93%

^ green = above league average, ˇ red = below league average. This shows direction of the gap, not a team rating.

2.69
Average goals per match
45%
Both teams scored
49%
Min. 3 goals (Over 2.5)
29%
Clean sheets
1.45
Home goals / match
1.24
Away goals / match
+17%
Home attack advantage
+14%
Home defence advantage
+10%
Total home advantage
Goals in 1st half (whole league)
77%
1 goal
33%
2 goals
6%
3 goals
1%
4 goals
Goals in 2nd half (whole league)
78%
1 goal
48%
2 goals
17%
3 goals
6%
4 goals

Lineups and player events

Verified starters, substitutes and recorded player events for this match.

Match timeline

Goals, cards and substitutions arranged in chronological order.

  1. CrusadersGoalJarlath O'Rourke
  2. Ballymena UnitedGoalKian Corbally
  3. CrusadersGoalFinley Thorndike
  4. CrusadersSubstitutionOn: Jordan ForsytheOff: Finley Thorndike
  5. Ballymena UnitedSubstitutionOn: Dylan McGeouchOff: Aaron Jarvis
  6. Ballymena UnitedYellow cardDylan McGeouch
  7. Ballymena UnitedGoalDanny Lafferty
  8. CrusadersSubstitutionOn: Jacob BlaneyOff: Brendan Hamilton

Head-to-head

Previous meeting: Ballymena United 0 - 1 - 0 Crusaders. Average goals 2.00, both teams scored in 100% matches.

Crusaders FC
1 : 1
Ballymena United FC

FAQ

What was the result of Ballymena United vs Crusaders?

The NIFL Premiership match finished Ballymena United 2:2 Crusaders. Full match statistics, the half-by-half breakdown and head-to-head are on this page.

What do the goal statistics show before Ballymena United vs Crusaders?

Ballymena United score 1.27 goals per game on average and Crusaders 1.57. The NIFL Premiership average is 2.69 goals, with Over 2.5 landing in 49% of games. Both teams score in 40% of Ballymena United's matches and 57% of Crusaders's.

What form are Ballymena United and Crusaders in?

Over the last 5 games Ballymena United have a 1-0-4 record (0.60 points per game) and Crusaders 2-0-3 (1.20 points per game).

Where can I find a betting tip and analysis for Ballymena United vs Crusaders?

The statistical background for Ballymena United vs Crusaders — form, head-to-head, goals, BTTS and Over/Under — is on this page. The tip with full reasoning and a value assessment is in the NoFluffPicks app.