Thirds get the ball rolling at Ballymena

Ballymena Thirds 5

Bann Thirds 15

THE Greer’s of Antrim-sponsored Thirds travelled to Ballymena for their first game of the season in Junior League Section Two.

The team had a mixture of experience and youth with Jonny Singleton, Matthew Bird and Ryan Ringland, graduates from Bann’s youth system, all getting their first outings as senior players.

The match started as the rain stopped with Bann opting to play with the slight wind to their backs and half-backs Andy Cowan and Francois Viljoen used this advantage to kick their team into the opposition half.

Eight minutes into the game Ballymena gave away a penalty on their 10 metre line and Viljoen ably slotted over to give the visitors a 3-0 lead. The teams were evenly matched and play moved constantly from one end of the pitch to the other. The Ballymena pack kept driving at the Bann line and on two occasions they were held up over the line.

On the second occasion the ball was ripped free and the ball was kicked up to the opposition end. Calum Boland, Stephen Jackson and Barry McKevitt gave chase and pressurised Ballymena into giving away a scrum 10 metres out.

With Ballymena down to 14 men due to a blood injury the scrum was reduced to seven on each side. A planned call was made and the scrum gave quick ball to Cowan who passed to Bird who in turn drew his man and put Boland over in the corner to put Banbridge 8-0 up.

Just before half-time Viljoen put an enormous Garryowen up from his own 22 and Jackson gave chase. The Ballymena full-back misjudged and let it bounce, Jackson collected and ran in to score under the posts. Viljoen added the conversion to put Bann 15-0 up at the interval.

The Bann side were under no illusions that this game was over and their caution was given credence within two minutes of the re-start, as Ballymena raced in for an unconverted try.

But as Bann rallied, that proved to be the only reward for a home side which included two players who had featured in last season’s Schools’ Cup final.

Andy Fulton, Gareth Jelly and Andy Craig put in the big hits to deny Ballymena when the line was under serious threat in the second half.

Forty year old Mark Lewis belied his years as he battered the home team and Peter Irvine and Jonny Sleater covered the ground well as the game opened up in the final 10 minutes.

Captain Marc Eadie and Assistant Manager Mark Dodds were highly impressed with the defensive desire of the team as they stopped Ballymena on four separate occasions when a try looked inevitable.

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