Ballymena’s strong first-half performance wasn’t enough to secure the points at Eaton Park on Saturday afternoon, as visitors Wanderers stormed back in the second half to claim a 38–17 win in AIL Division 2A.
The home side started brightly and were rewarded early on for their dominance up front. A powerful Ballymena scrum and a strong defensive turnover inside the Wanderers half earned a penalty, which Callum Davidson calmly converted to open the scoring after ten minutes.
Moments later, Ballymena struck again in style. Ben Neely broke through the Wanderers’ defensive line and offloaded to Daniel Vercoe Rogers, who fended off a would be tackler and finished under the posts. Davidson added the extras to give the hosts a 10–0 advantage and a perfect platform to build from.
Wanderers hit back on the half-hour mark, capitalising on a lineout deep inside Ballymena’s 22. After several well-worked phases, they crossed for a converted try to narrow the gap to 10–7.
Ballymena responded with a well-constructed team move shortly before the break. Slick hands throughout the team allowed Warwick to give the final pass and send Dean Millar over the line, and Davidson’s third successful kick of the day gave the home side a 17–7 lead at half-time.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically after the restart. A heavy downpour disrupted Ballymena’s rhythm, and Wanderers quickly took advantage. A well-executed kick to the corner found Jordan Conroy, who touched down to make it 17–12.
With possession and territory firmly in their favour, Wanderers added a second try of the half on 56 minutes to edge ahead 19–17. Ballymena’s task became even tougher when Patterson was shown a yellow card for what was deemed to be a late tackle. The visitors made their numerical advantage count — driving over from a maul to extend their lead to 26–17.
Two further tries in the closing minutes, one from a kick through and another following a lineout in Ballymena’s 22, sealed a 38–17 win for the Dublin side.
After a promising start, Ballymena were unable to regain control in the second half, struggling to retain possession or exit their own half against a Wanderers side who finished strongly.
The result leaves Ballymena with plenty to build on, and they’ll look to bounce back quickly when they travel to Shannon next Saturday.
Team vs Wanderers:
1. Warwick
2. Mustoe
3. Graham
4. P Browne
5. Milford
6. Clarke
7. Lamont
8. Dobbin
9. Davidson
10. Patterson
11. Munce
12. Vercoe Rogers
13. D Millar
14. Neely
15. Carroll
16. Josh Mark
17. Justin Mark
18. J Browne
19. Robson
20. Small
