Ballymena 10 – 27 Corinthians RFC
First Half: Corinthians RFC started the game strongly, immediately applying pressure on the home side. After a lineout in Ballymena’s 22, Corinthians put together multiple phases, eventually exploiting space on the outside to score the opening try within 10 minutes, taking an early 7-0 lead.
Ballymena struggled to gain any meaningful possession or territory throughout the first quarter. Corinthians capitalised on this, and proved to be clinical in their visits to Ballymena’s 22. Their second try came in the 14th minute, breaking from a lineout and scoring just two phases later to extend their lead to 12-0.
Corinthians continued to dominate, and in the 22nd minute, they added a third try. A missed tackle from Ballymena allowed the visitors to spread the ball wide, crossing the line in the corner to push the score to 17-0.
John Nicholl’s team composed themselves in the second quarter and held out to half time with the score at 17-0.
Second Half: Ballymena came out with renewed energy in the second half, making a positive start. Their perseverance paid off in the 46th minute, as captain Adam Lamont crossed the line from close range after Ballymena held the ball through more than 10 phases. This reduced the deficit to 5-17, giving the home support hope of a comeback.
However, any momentum Ballymena had gained was soon disrupted. After what appeared to be a couple of missed knock-on calls, Corinthians drove over from a 5m lineout to secure their bonus point try, increasing their lead to 24-5.
Ballymena refused to give up, responding with another try through Alexander Clarke, who broke off from a maul to score on his AIL debut for the club, making it 10-24.
Just as Ballymena seemed to be clawing their way back into the contest, they were dealt another setback when Connor Smyth received a yellow card for a high tackle. Corinthians took advantage of the situation, slotting a penalty to extend their lead to 27-10.
Despite Ballymena’s best efforts, they were unable to close the gap further, and Corinthians secured a victory on their return to Division 2A.
Final Score: Ballymena 10 – 27 Corinthians RFC
Team:
McWhirter, M. Lamont, Mawhinney, Milford, P. Browne, Clarke, A. Lamont, Jordan, Weerarathne, Ferguson, McLean, S. Millar, Vercoe-Rogers, Neilly, McBurney
Subs: Taggart, Forsythe, C. Smyth, O. Smith, D. Millar
