Late heartbreak for Academy in local derby with Ballyclare High

A Ballyclare High School player attempts to charge down a clearance by Ballymena Academy.

The wet and windy overhead conditions, combined with the heavy pitch, made it difficult for either team to play the game at pace.

Ballymena had the benefit of the breeze in the first half and immediately enjoyed a sustained period of possession deep in the Ballyclare half. The home team held out several Ballymena surges and, on fifteen minutes, opened the scoring for the morning with a penalty.

Moments later, Ballymena levelled the scores when Andrew Magrath slotted a penalty from forty metres. During the course of the first half, Ballymena lost scrum half Jack Archer and hooker Alex Connolly to injury, but continued to enjoy the better of the territorial advantage.

A Ballyclare infringement at the breakdown on the halfway line allowed Magrath the opportunity to give his side a 6 – 3 lead and the Ballymena out-half confidently knocked over the long range penalty.

Just before half time, following a Jonathan Rosborough break, Ballymena had an opportunity to score the first try of the morning, but Ballyclare defended aggressively and Ballymena had to settle for a third Andrew Magrath penalty to take a 9 – 3 lead into the interval.

Despite playing into the wind in the second half, it was Ballymena Academy who looked most likely to get the crucial next score. Jonathan McKeown narrowly missed the chance to score in the corner and Andy Magrath was unlucky with two drop-goal attempts, one of which rebounded off the post.

These missed opportunities seemed to give the home team further confidence and, with the wind in their favour, Ballyclare began to enjoy significant territorial advantage.

The final fifteen minutes of the game were played out in the Ballymena 22, with the away team defending with intensity under severe pressure from the larger Ballyclare pack.

In the 47th minute of the second half, Ballymena finally succumbed to the sustained pressure when a Ballyclare forward touched down midway between the corner flag and the posts to take the score to 9 – 8.

With the large crowd silent, the kicker showed no nerves as he confidently slotted the conversion and the home team were jubilant as the final whistle sounded to confirm the 10 – 9 victory.

Ballymena Academy: Hanna, Rosborough, Rea, Small, McKee, Magrath, Archer; Gillan, Connolly, Stevenson, McNabney, Jolly, McKeown, Maguire. Rep. Alexander, Bill, Kosch