CJL - Division 1
Ballina 30 OLBC 8
ALTHOUGH the end result suggests Ballina won relatively comfortably on Saturday last, OLBC proved to be tough opponents in the first half as evidenced by the 8-8 half-time scoreline.
Ballina struck first with a penalty from full-back Simon Wade but OLBC responded strongly with a try from forward Simon Lawless who later had to retreat from the field with an injury.
OLBC extended their lead with a penalty from Luke O’Donnell and were competing well, however, on the verge of half time, Ballina’s outside centre Ian Thornton touched down for a try to restore parity. The score arrived after a fine team build up but Simon Wade miscued his conversion.
Ballina dominated the second half and took only ten minutes to move in front. Conor Forde won possesion from the lineout inside the 22 where Phillip Timoney, Michael Murphy and Ian Thornton added width to the attack before Andy Moynihan chipped a delicate pass inside the OLBC defence for the pacey Thornton to chase down and finish off the move. Simon Wade converted with accuracy to put seven points between the teams.
Wade again got the chance to increase the lead with a penalty for an offside infringement and he added another three points to his tally while Thornton bagged his hat-trick of tries in the 25th minute after his pace down the wing proved too much for the OLBC defence to handle.
Wade struck the post from the conversion but then provided the pass for winger Patrick Hackett to run home another try from which out-half Andy Moynihan converted to cap off the scoring for Ballina.
Hackett spoiled the chance for another try when attemt-ping to run the ball under the posts - he ran out over the dead-ball line under pressure.
OLBC drove forward in the final 10 minutes but failed to create a scoring opportunity as Ballina claimed a deserverd victory with Simon Wade, Ian Thornton, Michael Murphy and Dan Carrabine impressing most. James McGavern, John McDonagh, Tony O’Sullivan and James Moran failed to give in for the visitors.
BALLINA: Simon Wade, Patrick Hackett, Ian Thornton, David Newman, Richard Killeen, Andy Moynihan, Michael Murphy, Judd Ruane, Phillip Timoney, Conor Forde, Dan Carrabine, Declan Murphy, Alistair Browne, Richard Kelly, Keith Flannery. Replacements: James O’Connor, William O’Connor, Michael Clarke.
OLBC: Peter McDonagh, Cilian O’Brien, John McSweeney, Dave O’Reilly, James McGovern, Luke O’Donnell, John McDonagh, James Moran, Rob Lennon, Tony O’Sullivan, Nathan Lawless, Seamus Cuddy, Simon Lawless, Liam Kern, Dermot Costello. Replacement: Pete Small, John Moran, Phillip Coyle.
Ballina scores: Tries - Thornton 3, Hackett; Cons - Wade and Moynihan 1 each; Penalties --Wade 2. OLBC scores: Try - Lawless; Pen - O’Donnell.
