Down but not out, Buccaneers staged one of the great recoveries in the All-Ireland League to snatch a late, late victory at Ericsson Park on Saturday.

Buccaneers were facing another defeat in their troubled season, when they trailed by double scores - 26-13 - with just five minutes of normal time remaining.

But then they called on all their fighting spirit and experience to completely turn on its head what had gone on in the previous 75 minutes.

Greg Austin started the fightback when he crossed for a try and then three minutes into injury time they struck for another try. Lock forward Kevin Barrett charged down a James Topping clearance and won the race for the touchdown to take Buccaneers to within a point of Ballymena.

They needed the conversion for only their second win in the campaign under new coach Simon Allnutt and full back Robbie Lee was ice cool as he drove the ball between the posts for a one-point win.

Ballymena held all the aces in the first half with Neil Doake kicking four penalties and then converting his 31st minute breakaway try to take the visitors to a 19-7 lead at the break.

Buccaneers kept in touch with a Lee try and penalties from the former Schools interprovincial Colm Glynn and Lee cut the deficit to just six points at the end of the third quarter.

However, Shane Sewart crossed for Ballymena's second try on 68 minutes and Doak added the conversion for a 26-13 lead.

BUCCANEERS: R Lee; M Devine, P Whitaker, G Austin, M Walker; C Glynn, T Robinson; J Screene, J McVeigh, M Cahill, K Barrett, C Brownlie, I Dillon, C Rigney, E Brennan. Replacements: D Yapp for Glynn (50 mins), A Hanley for Dillon (71 mins), C Finn for Brennan (71 mins).

BALLYMENA: J Topping; J Parke, S Stewart, R Botha, P Maxwell; A Derwim, N Doak; N McKernan, P Shiels, C Millar, C Beukes, G Longwell, D O'Kane, R Nelson, J Taggart. Replacements: P McBride for Beukes (61 mins), J Wells for Derwin (71 mins), W McAllister for McKernan (71 mins).

Referee: J Sheehan (Munster).