AIB AIL
Sat 2nd Dec 2006
Ballymena travelled to Lansdowne, not having played for three weeks,
and in a match played in very difficult conditions they lost by 20 points
to 13.
This was a match which the Braid men could have got more out of but a
spate of injuries which saw the team constantly being changed throughout
the match did not help the cause. Dirkie Strydom injured his ankle and
after about half an hour and was replaced at half time. Pat Steenkamp
was replaced early in the second half with rib problems and Glen Moore
aggravated an old injury and was replaced by Andy Graham on the hour.
Then second row Darren Best had to leave the field to be replaced with
substitute hooker Stephen Douglas. Add to this a swirling Lansdowne wind
then the visitors had a tough day in Dublin.
Lansdowne got off to the better start and after 3 minutes Robbie Dolan
put over a penalty to give them the lead. The home side continued to take
the game to Ballymena and only some strong defensive work kept their line
intact after several phases of play. Then Gavin O’Meara sent a long
pass out to Gregg Stafford who outpaced the defence to score the first
try on 17 minutes which Robbie Dolan converted.
Ballymena gradually worked their way into the game and the forwards were
starting to hold their own but it has to be said that some well won possession
was wasted by the ineptitude of the backs. However a penalty was awarded
to the visitors and and from a distance of 45 metres Dirkie Strydom put
a superb strike between the posts. Persistence paid off on the half hour
when, after a good period of pressure from the Ballymena pack, Pat Steenkamp
broke away to score a great try. Four minutes later the backs got in on
the act when Peter Spence sent Peter Budina away to score in the corner
and give Ballymena a half time lead of 13 points to 10.
The second half started with neither side getting the upper hand but after
five minutes John Lyne managed to bore his way over for an unconverted
try. This seemed to spur on the home side who dominated proceedings and
got another try when Mana Ashford broke through the Ballymena cover for
try number three and a 7 points gap in the score.
Ballymena came back and spent the last five minutes of the match camped
on the home line but alas there was no way through and the best they could
do was to go home with a bonus point.
Another disappointing day for the Braid men and it could be said that
it was a match that was there for the taking. There will be no room for
complacency next week and with just two teams between Ballymena and the
bottom of the league winning is a must.
Ballymena: D Strydom (C Smith 40); A Maxwell, J Topping, J McGrugan, P
Budina; J Ritchie, P Spence (D Drake 79); P Steenkamp (S Shawe 49), M
Harshaw, T Court, D Best (S Douglas 63), B Young, G Moore (A Graham 60),
N McMillan, C Henry.
