Fourth defeat on the trot for Ballymena

Ballymena 13 Galwegians 16

Ballymena suffered their fourth successive AIB League defeat as they went down to Galwegians at Eaton Park this afternoon.

'Wegians, who exited the AIB Cup last Sunday, set the tone for this win with a fifth-minute try from powerful number 8 Ati Olive after some concerted pressure from the forwards.

But a break from Ireland U-19 international Luke Marshall teed up Ballymena's only try of this action-packed encounter. Flanker Andrew Kerr got the touchdown, with scrum half David O'Hara's successful conversion putting the Braidmen in front.

O'Hara added a penalty on the half hour for a 10-5 scoreline and although he added another before the break, 'Wegians blasted back to level the tie on the stroke of half-time.

Lock Brian McClearn stormed through for an unconverted try and out-half Ross Shaughnessy landed an injury-time drop goal, squaring it up at 13-13.

In a ding-dong second half, 'Wegians' superior defence frustrated the life out of Ballymena.

Midway through the half, the match-winning score arrived from a penalty from replacement centre Rob O'Beirne.

Although Marshall, Bob Young, captain Sam McKinney and full-back Jamie Smith tried desperately to engineer a response from the hosts, the scoreboard remained the same until full-time.

Best on the day for the Galway men were the Muldoons, Conor and Ivan, the hard-hitting Olive and John Cleary who covered and countered well at full-back.

Scorers:

Ballymena: Try: Andrew Kerr; Con: David O’Hara; Pens: David O’Hara 2

Galwegians: Tries: Ati Olive, Brian McClearn; Pen: Rob O’Beirne; Drop: Ross Shaughnessy.