Ballymena RFC held their nerve in a dramatic finale at Eaton Park to claim a thrilling 28–26 victory over Greystones RFC in AIL Division 2A.
The home side made an excellent start, dominating possession and territory despite playing into a strong breeze. Their early pressure paid off after 14 minutes when a well-executed attacking lineout set up a maul, allowing Paddy Browne to crash over for the opening try.
Just four minutes later, Ballymena struck again. Sustained pressure on the Greystones line saw Angus Clarke dive over, with Callum Davidson adding the extras to make it 12–0.
Greystones responded on 21 minutes with a well-worked try of their own down the right wing, but Davidson’s penalty from 10 metres restored Ballymena’s cushion at 15–5. The visitors narrowed the gap again on the half-hour mark, capitalising on an attacking lineout to score and convert, bringing it to 15–12.
The hosts finished the half strongly when Ben Neely broke through the defensive line and fended off several tacklers to touch down. Davidson’s conversion made it 22–12 at half-time — a well-earned lead after a composed and physical first-half display.
The second half, however, told a different story. Torrential rain made conditions difficult, and Greystones began to find their rhythm. They were rewarded with a score under the posts just after the hour mark to close the gap to 22–19.
Davidson again stepped up with a penalty on 67 minutes to give Ballymena some breathing room with a 6 point gap. Greystones then took the lead for the first time on 72 minutes with another converted try, moving ahead 26–25 as the rain lashed down once more.
With time running out, Ballymena dug deep. In the dying moments, James McClean produced a crucial turnover at the breakdown, earning a penalty just inside Greystones territory. From long range, Callum Davidson held his nerve to slot the kick and send the home crowd into raptures — sealing a 28–26 win.
It was a game of two halves: dominance and control before the break, followed by grit and resilience in the face of adversity. Ballymena may not have managed the second-half conditions as well as they’d have liked, but their determination and composure under pressure secured a memorable victory and valuable league points at Eaton Park.
Final Score:
🏉 Ballymena RFC 28 – 26 Greystones RFC
Tries: Browne, Clarke, Neely
Conversions: Davidson (2)
Penalties: Davidson (3)
Team for Greystones
1. Josh Mark
2. C Mustoe
3. A Graham
4. P Browne
5. J Browne
6. A Clarke
7. A Lamont
8. J Dobbin
9. C Davidson
10. C Patterson
11. M McLean
12. D Vercoe Rogers
13. D Millar
14. B Neely
15. S McKay
16. A Warwick
17. Justin Mark
18. L Montgomery
19. J McClean
20. A Robson
