Ballymena hold on to top spot

Ballymena 18 Garryowen 15

Ballymena hold a one-point lead at the top of the AIB League Division one as they came from behind to defeat a gallant Garryowen side 18-15 at Eaton Park this afternoon.

Centre Huw Jones scored the vital second-half try.

The home side were on the defensive for the first 10 minutes however with Garryowen, a side who have beaten the league leaders in their previous three meetings, being led off well by full-back Mark Connolly.

Hooker Bevan Cantrell went over for an early try based on that pressure, but Connolly fell wide with the conversion attempt.

Connolly was on the end of a flowing move from the Limerick side, running in under the posts to move 12-10 in front on 37 minutes.

Ballymena winger Andy Maxwell got them back in contention with a well-worked try on 17 minutes, converted by out-half Iain Humphreys before the number 10 struck a 22-metre penalty over the Garryowen posts for a 13-12 lead at the break.

A Connolly penalty shortly after the restart put Garryowen back in front, before a mazy run from Ballymena centre Jones with a quarter of an hour to go, put the league leaders 18-15 in front.

Out-half Humphreys missed right with the conversion, just as he had seemingly missed a crucial penalty on 50 minutes.

But it failed to matter in the end, as Mark Donato’s men now sit a point ahead of Shannon at the league’s summit.