Ballymena 2nd XV booked a place in the Junior Cup semi finals on Saturday with a hard fought victory over the previously unbeaten Cooke team.
Training throughout the week was excellent with some key players in the squad becoming available after injury. The feeling in the camp was excellent all week and the boys knew nothing short of their best was going to be good enough to secure the win.
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Right from the first whistle the Eaton park men set out their stall, with the forwards securing some quick ball allowing outhalf Campbell to control the tempo of the game and dominate field position. In the 8 minute Ballymena were awarded a penalty on the Cooke 10meter line which gave MCCluggage the chance to Slot the ball between the uprights for a deserved 3-0 lead.
The game continued in this fashion with Ballymena bossing the loose play and forcing the opposition to defend in their own half of the field. The Ballymena back line was now firing on al cylinders and apart from a few handling errors and some good scramble defence from the Shaw’s bridge team could have scored the games opening try. On 20 minutes scrum half Mc Cluggage dispatch his second penalty to make the score 6-0.
Cooke then got into gear and started then to have a period of dominance themselves. For the next 15 minutes Cooke dominated the game, but the Braid men’s defence was excellent only affording Cooke to score for a penalty from a difficult angle to leave the score 6-3.
Before half time Ballymena came back into the game and only a mistimed pass from Campbell stopped Mc Cluggage going in under the post for a try. From the resulting knock on Cooke were penalised at the scrum allowing McCluggage to kick 3more points and bring the first half to a close.
The second half started much the same as the first with Ballymena going on the offensive and piling good pressure on their oppositions 22. Cooke’s indiscipline at this stage was costing them, allowing McCluggage to kick penalties in the 45th and 49th minute to put the Ballymena team 15-3 ahead.
But this Cooke team were far from finished. In the 53rd minute they broke into the Ballymena 22 to score a try in the corner and with the failed conversion left the score 15-8. The game was now in the balance and the next score was going to be crucial.
From the restart again Cooke’s indiscipline cost them allowing Ballymena to kick into the corner. From the resulting lineout returning 2nd row Christie squeezed over to score the Braid men’s opening try of the game. The conversion was left short to leave the score 20-8
Again from the restart Cooke bounced back and poor discipline from the Ballymena team allowed Cooke to advance into the Ballymena 22. For the first time in the game Ballymena team looked tired and started to give away too many penalties at the break down. Cooke took advantage of this and some poor tackling allowed the Cooke 2nd row go in for a score under the post and with the successful conversion left the score 20-15.
It was make a break time for both side with the next score probably going to decide the result. As has been that case in recent weeks, the Eaton park team showed huge character and mental strength and with the game entering the final five minutes a well rehearsed set play allowed centre Montgomery to score out wide and all but seal their slot in the semi final draw. With the conversion missed the score was 25-15.
Despite Cooke’s best efforts in the remaining few minutes they could not score the points required to close the gap.
Ballymena now go into the semi final draw having been the first team to beat Cooke in Junior rugby this year. The team have grown in the last number of weeks and with some players now starting to hit top form they will be a force to be reckoned with for the rest of the season.
Team: MC GREER, SMITH, MONTGOMERY, NICHOLL, BELL, CAMPBELL, MC CLUGGAGE, HAMILTON, C SMYTH, ALLEN, CHRISTIE, C SMITH, TAGGART, ANDREW, WALLACE
REPLACEMENTS: MULHOLLAND, LAMONT
