Fifth XV end season with victory in Harden Cup final

The weather started badly and deteriorated as the game wore on. The early exchanges were characterised by a lot of mistakes and nervousness on both sides, and after 15 minutes the sides were level, at two penalty goals apiece.

The first piece of really concerted play by Ballymena resulted in a try, with Paul McBride going over from short range after good inter passing down the right. Matthew Banks, who had kicked the two penalties earlier, converted to give his side a 13-6 half-time lead.

Ballynahinch started the second half looking a much more purposeful outfit, and five minutes in, there was a yellow card for James Carson and another penalty for Ballynahinch, converted by their out half.

Three more penalties inside 10 minutes, all successfully converted, put Ballynahinch 15-13 ahead. They increased their lead when a cross kick by their centre went off the side of his foot but fell luckily into the arms of the Hinch left wing, who started a movement which let Niall Montgomery in for a try.

The game changed when Ballymena won a lineout on the half way line and the ball was moved quickly to Garrett Bell who fended of a number of tackles, accelerated away and scored between the posts.

Banks’s conversion meant there were now just two points between the teams, and when Bell scored another spectacular individual try to put his side 25-22 in the lead with only two minutes left on the clock, that seemed to be that, but a last ditch penalty by Ballynahinch levelled the scores at 25 all, and took the game into extra time.

By this time the rain had turned into a tropical storm, and in the event the game was settled by a Banks penalty in the dying seconds.