Gale force!

Ballymena’s opponents, Ards, had been having a difficult time in the Ulster League, having lost all their previous six games and sitting firmly at the bottom.

However, against a much changed Ballymena side, which had lost four front line players to the Ulster Ravens, they played with great heart and determination and held their own for large parts of the first half, conceding sixteen points.

That may seem like quite a half time deficit, but, given the conditions, there was some speculation among the home supporters whether the lead was big enough.ഀ

The only way that Ballymena could play against such a strong wind was to keep the ball in hand and run at their opponents, which they did to great effect, quickly dispelling any lingering doubt about the size of the half time lead.

Ards had a put in a tremendous effort in the first period, but it soon became clear that it had sapped their energy, and when Ballymena played with an intensity that they hadn’t shown up to then, they could not live with the pace and skill of the Ballymena backs.