BALLINA managed an emphatic win but failed to earn the bonus point reward a fourth try would have yielded as their lack of recent matches was evident in the early performance against OLBC, last Sunday.

Ballina’s scrums, lineouts and defensive cohesion were all found wanting in the opening 20 minutes. The Galway City side took advantage of Ballina’s sluggish start and established themselves in the home half early on and soon had an opportunity to open the scoring with a penalty kick chance which Dan McManus put wide.

Ballina survived the early pressure and the pack took control of the set pieces winning good ball in both scrum and lineout. This gave the stability and supply of possession upon which Ballina began to build an effective attacking game plan. Andy Moynihan had a chance to punish indiscipline by the Tribesmen in a ruck, with a penalty kick attempt which drifted narrowly wide, but he put over his second kick shortly after following a similar infringement by OLBC.

Marc Healy was having an outstanding game in the Ballina pack, the young second row tidied up a lot of loose ball and drove forward with powerful effect. Along with Healy, Tom Tolan, Paul Newell, Dan Carrabine and Richard Kelly, he worked hard for Ballina in the tight and the back row of Conor Forde, Arthur West and Aiden McNulty were beginning to dominate in the loose.

Ballina scum half and captain Michael Murphy made an incisive break down the blind side which had the visitors scrambling back, and do just enough to snuff out the threat. But Ballina turned over the ball at the breakdown on more than one occasion and soon were putting together some good attacking play. David Newman and Stephen McCarron found a way past Noel Farragher and Jonathan Curran more often than was comfortable for OLBC and eventually David Newman scored Ballina’s first try following good driving play from the forwards and precise handling in the backline. Andy Moynihan added the conversion giving his side a 10-0 lead.

Ballina continued to pile on the pressure and when Orrie Collins came on for the injured Arthur West he lost no time throwing himself into the fray with good effect. Both Collins and Conor Forde were causing the visitors a lot of problems in the lineouts, with Conor Forde in particular taking a lot of opposition ball. A sustained period of pressure on the visitors line eventually yielded dividends when Ballina were awarded a penalty which the quick thinking Murphy took quickly and barged over the line for his side’s second score. Andy Moynihan was wide with his conversion attempt so the score was 15-0 at half-time.

Ballina introduced Ciaran Melvin for Paul Newell at prop and continued to dominate up front. They didn’t have it entirely their own way as OLBC’s no. 8 Derek Glennon was proving more than a handful to the Mayo men all day. The visitors built their game very much around the effective back row man who always made ground, breaking tackles and offloading with skill.

Ballina’s back row weren’t found wanting themselves and Aiden McNulty carried the ball purposefully into the heart of the Galway men’s territory. Tyrone De Silva came on for the injured David Newman and he soon found himself on the scoresheet as he finished off a period of sustained pressure in the Boy’s Club 22 by powering past despairing tackles to touch down an unconverted try, leaving Ballina 20-0 in front.

The visitors fought back and a combination of their good play and indiscipline by Ballina gave them a foothold as Dan McManus put over a well struck penalty kick. Further good play in which Glennon was prominent again saw a sustained period of OLBC pressure rewarded when out half Darragh McDonagh gave an excellent short pass to prop forward Liam Curran who ran a very good line to cut through the Ballina cover and score. Remarkably Dan McManus’s conversion attempt was blocked down by Stephen McCarron.

Ballina finished strongly, hunting for the fourth try which would have given them a bonus point. They were camped on the OLBC line but the clock ran down and the extra point eluded them. There was much of merit in their performance and plenty to work on. They will want to be performing at the top of their game for 80 minutes next Sunday when they entertain Ballinrobe at home in the preliminary round of the Connacht Junior Cup.

They will be hoping for good turnout of their supporters in what should be an entertaining game full of all of the drama that a cup tie always brings. Kick off is at 2.30pm in Heffernan Park.

BALLINA: Paul Newell, Richard Kelly, Tom Tolan, Dan Carrabine, Marc Healy, Conor Forde, Arthur West, Aiden McNulty, Michael Murphy, Andy Moynihan, Ciaran Rouse, David Newman, Stephen McCarron, Niall O’Malley, Robert Forbes. Replacements: Ciaran Melvin, Orrie Collins, Tyrone De Silva.

OLBC: Liam Curran, Martin Hughes, John Barry, Stephen Casserly, Alan Flynn, Donagh O’Sullivan, Daragh Ruddy, Derek Glennon, Ciaran Berry, Darragh McDonagh, Nicky Lawless, Noel Farragher, Jonathan Curran, Ciaran Martyn, Dan McManus. Replacements: Simon Lawless, David O’Reilly, Keith Gavin.

Referee: Daithi Flood.

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