Ballymena move into top half of league with floodlit win
Thursday, 21 January 2010
David O’Hara kicked 11 points at Buccaneers.
After trailing 10-3 at half time, Ballymena completed a second half comeback under the Dubarry Park floodlights as they denied Buccaneers their first win in four All Ireland League Division 1B games by taking the points in a 13-16 victory.
The result leaves Buccaneers rooted to the bottom of Division 1B level on 10 points with Ballynahinch whose home game against Dungannon fell victim to the weather.
Ballymena meanwhile moved back into the top half of the table albeit two wins off the battle for the single league play-off place at the end of the campaign that currently lies between Young Munster and Ballymena's next opponents Old Belvedere.
Young Munster moved to the top of the table following their narrow 15-16 win at Old Belvedere and in doing so had to thank out-half Alan Kingsley who knocked over a last-gasp penalty to stretch the Limerick side's winning run to five league games.
Just before that in the 73rd minute the league's leading try scorer David Mongan crashed over for his 11th try of the campaign, nudging Old Belvedere into a 15-13 lead. But Young Munster battled back and were awarded that last minute Kingsley penalty.
Kingsley was a key contributor to the visitors' success when he landed two penalties in the opening 20 minutes before Old Belvedere flanker Jason Ridon grabbed a 29th minute try which was converted by Leinster's Fergus McFadden. Matthew Costelloe responded with a try for Young Munster just three minutes later with Kingsley's conversion giving the Limerick men a 10-13-10 half time advantage. The second half was a tight affair as one would expect in a game between the league's top two sides as Kingsley denied the Dubliners their win.
Back at Athlone Ballymena out half David O'Hara contributed 11 points with the boots through three penalties and a conversion. Early in the first half he and Buccaneers' South African out half JH Potgeiter swapped early penalties but the Connacht side were 10-3 ahead at half time through a 26th minute try by Connacht prop Conor Higgins that was converted by Potgeiter.
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