Harlequins reach play-offs with Ballymena win

Belfast Harlequins 19 Ballymena 0

Harlequins are through to the AIB League Division One play-offs for the first time in their history as two tries either side of half time at a sodden Deramore Park saw them edge out rivals and reigning champions Ballymena 19-0.

Harlequins’ South African coach Andre Bester signed a new two-year-deal with the Deramore club on Thursday afternoon and his goal of making the club “the best in Ireland” will continue into this season’s final league stages, with a date against second-placed Shannon to follow.

An eighth win from their last ninth fixtures looked on the cards as club skipper Darren Barbour was helped over the line following a scissors move with chief goal kicker Willem Slabbert, resulted in the opening try just two minutes before the interval.

Slabbert missed the conversion, but had earlier thumped over a 35-metre penalty on 22 minutes, so Harlequins had a decisive 8-0 lead at the break.

Pack giants Chris McCarey and Simon Shawe looked unstoppable in the loose, and the Ballymena side which claimed wins over Dungannon and Lansdowne in recent weeks, simply did not turn up.

A lacklustre performance saw Namibian Dirkie Strydom even target with the boot and matters were compounded for the fifth-placed side when Slabbert goaled two further times in the second half, on 57 and 69 minutes.

The victory was completed by scrum half Reece Spee who crossed from his 11th try in 14 league games with three minutes remaining to seal a famous Belfast win.