JKC/Causeway Geotech sponsored Ballymoney 1st XV welcomed Bangor RFC to Kilraughts Road in the final league game of the season on a wet and windy afternoon, with still an outside chance of clinching a league top 4 finish, and the hope of All Ireland Cup rugby next season. With Portadown playing league leaders Dromore, the Toon needed all five points and hope Portadown didn’t pick up any points to finish above them.
Ballymoney named an unchanged 18 from last week’s disappointing result at home to Portadown and played up the hill in the first half.
On five minutes, a clearance from the Bangor 22 was taken by Lewis Hawthorne, after beating several defenders, he offloaded to Andy Gilmour who passed to Matthew Bell who scored the opening try 10 metres in from the touchline. Paddy Carson added the conversion 7-0 Ballymoney.
Bangor, whilst very good up front, couldn’t live with the home side and on 16 minutes, the Toon men doubled the scoreline. Marty Irwin kicked from within his half to the 22 giving Ballymoney the lineout. A resulting penalty and a Money tap-and-go led to several drives on the line before Philip Beattie smashed over to score with Carson again adding the conversion.
On 25 minutes the Ballymoney men again increased the lead, forward dominance deep in the Bangor 22 led to Phillip Beattie crashing over with the on-song Carson adding the extra points and the Toon took a 21-0 lead going in at half time.
Money however didn’t ease second half and five minutes in a Lewis Hawthorne try following a line break by big Sam Brown was again converted by Paddy Carson. This try secured the all-important bonus point and after 10 the Toon stretched their lead further. Owen Boyd made a great break from his own half before the ball was recycled to Curtis Pollock who got his first of the day with the reliable boot of Carson adding the conversion.
A sixth Toon try 15 minutes into the half by Daniel Ramage and a red card shown to Bangor’s no 8 for a dangerous tackle on Sam Brown, gave the Toon a 42-0 lead. The fight was gone from the visitors but the Toon were in no mood to take the foot off the gas and wanted to put on a show for the supporters. Further tries from Pollock, Sam Brown and a third, and hattrick try, for Phil Beattie and the performance of the season, gave the Toon men a fabulous 63-0 win and with Portadown failing to get anything from their game, Ballymoney leapfrogged them to secure 4th spot and a place in next season’s All Ireland Junior Cup.
Senior Coach Andy Graham said after the game “Absolutely delighted with the performance today. We spoke in the changing room before we went out; we were desperately disappointed last week even though we played well but we needed to correct that and today we did. First half we worked really well and went in 3 scores to the good. The fourth try early on second half really finished Bangor off but I’m really pleased we continued to work hard and score more tries.
It was our objective to finish top 4 at the start of the season and we achieved that today. I believe this side will only get better as we’ve so much young talent coming through, half the team is younger than 24 and with the experienced players alongside them they can only improve. We look forward to taking a week off before we go again in the cup semi-final here in a fortnight’s time and the hope of a Kingspan final on Easter Monday to finish the season on a high.
Thanks again to all the support this season and to all who make the club the place it is; it means a lot to the coaching team and players having your backing all season.”