Carniny grew into the game after an even opening half hour, despite passing up a few early chances in front of goal. The breakthrough finally arrived on 38 minutes when a long free‑kick found Matthew McComb at the back post. His header came back off the upright, but Kai Kirk reacted quickest to fire home the rebound and settle the visitors’ nerves.

Carniny doubled their lead before the interval when McComb slipped a clever pass into Jay Peacock, who weaved his way into the right side of the box and opened up his body to guide a composed finish into the far corner.
2–0 to the Ballymena men at half-time.

Holywell pulled themselves back into the contest just four minutes after the restart, a neat lobbed free‑kick into the area allowing their number 5 to lift a finish into the roof of the net.

But Carniny responded instantly. Two minutes later, John Costello met a near‑post delivery from McComb and steered it past the keeper to restore the two‑goal cushion.

Three minutes after that, Carniny struck again — this time Dean Wright rising to head home from a superb Peacock cross to make it 4–1.

The visitors wrapped up the scoring on 81 minutes when Aaron Johnston whipped in a dangerous ball from the right. It curled all the way through to the far post, rebounded off the upright, and nestled in the net to complete a convincing 5–1 victory for Carniny at full-time.