Seconds' title hopes suffer a setback at Ballynahinch

Ballymena got off to a superb start with a try in the first minute.

Ballymena kicked off but the ball did not go 10 metres. Ballynahinch won possession from the scrum but the ball was slow to move to the backs and Adam Cupples intercepted a pass and raced away to score under the posts. Alan McCluggage converted and Ballymena were seven points up with only a minute on the clock.

Both sides exchanged penalties and after 12 minutes the score was 10 points to three but then a period of pressure from Ballymena produced another penalty and there was 10 points between the sides.

On the half hour Ballynahinch started to come back into the game and they scored a fine try which was converted. They continued to dominate play and with time running out in the first half they got a try and two penalties to make the half time score 21 points 10 for the home side.

Ballynahinch continued to dominate play in the second half and although Ballymena tried hard, their young side could not cope with the home side who had a couple of old heads in their ranks controlling things.

Seconds: R McGreer; A Smyth, C Brigl, M Banks, D Montgomery; P Campbell, A McCluggage; C Rea, C Cundell, A Warwick, A Hamilton, C Smyth, A Cupples, W McKay, S Mulholland.