Unattractive but effective Ballymena took the vital points against Galwegians yesterday to help avoid the drop from Division One, courtesy of some tactical guile in the second half. Thirteen-three ahead going into the last 15 minutes and Ballymena were content to keep scrummaging as the Galwegian backline played tag with each other in the wet and windswept Crowley Park conditions. Some 11 minutes and more than two dozen scrummages on the same spot whittled away the time and Galwegians chances of recovering when they had the wind at their backs.
It was a tactic that worked and Ballymena coach Andre Bester was delighted his team had "produced a second half display that was worth 40 points". His Galwegian counterpart George Hook was understandably more effusive. "The law makers had completely and utterly screwed up the game. Backs are an endangered species and we are just going to get bigger and bigger men barging at bigger and bigger men. We were outstanding in the first 40 minutes and the game was ours". Ballymena's penchant for the scrummage had failed to yield a try in the first half as they repeatedly opted for the set piece. But against a dogged Galwegian pack, Ballymena were forced to limit their scoring to just two penalties from full back Simon Mason.
Instead it was the home side who looked more dangerous and they came closest to scoring just minutes before the break but second row Jimmy Duffy was unable to ground the ball after a menacing drive from the Galwegian pack. However, Ballymena seized on Galwegians' failure to claim possession from the kick-off and some relentless close-in driving from the big Ballymena men eventually yielded the score that counted - a try by second row Mark Blair which Mason converted after just 45 minutes. Galwegians failed to control the second half despite the wind advantage and a frustrated outhalf, Eric Elwood, was given only one opportunity at goal which he potted with little difficulty after 66 minutes. Thereafter Ballymena contented themselves with preserving their lead to help survive a difficult season.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6 mins: S Mason penalty, 0-3; 35: S Mason penalty, 0-6; 45: M Blair try, S Mason conversion, 0-13; 66: E Elwood penalty, 3-13.
GALWEGIANS: W Ruane; P Duignan, A Reddan; M Murphy, N Carolan, E Elwood, D Reddan; D Dobson, D Lee, M Finlay, G Heaslip, J Duffy, B Gavin, J Chailie, J Casserley. Replacements: P Leahy for Dobson (64 mins).
BALLYMENA: S Mason; S Stewart, J Cunningham; J Topping, S McDowell, D McAleese, A Matchett; N McKernan, A Stewart, G Cully, M Blair, G Longwell, A Graham, D Topping, T McWhirter. Replacements: D McCarthy for Graham (60 mins).
Referee: M Whyte (Leinster).
