Tremendous win for Ballymena Second XV in Towns Cup

Ballymena Seconds' Darrell Montgomery prepares to hand off Portadown's Ryan Calvert during Saturday's Towns' Cup victory.

Before the game started both teams and supporters held a minutes silence as a mark of respect for Ballymena’s Shane McBurney’s mother who passed away earlier in the week.

When the game got underway it was Ballymena who started the better. The Ballymena forwards dominated from the word go and it was from their hard work that allowed Ballymena to set up a strong platform to attack from.

On 12 minutes Portadown tried to run the ball out of their half but a looping pass on their 10 metre line was plucked out of the air by inform fullback Rory Drysdale who sprinted clear to score under the posts. Drysdale composed himself to slot the conversion, 0-7.

The momentum was all Ballymena’s and on 16 minutes the ball was moved out wide to Shane McBurney who beat three Portadown defenders to score a great individual try to the right of the posts. Drysdale dispatched the ball between the posts to double the Braidmen’s lead, 0-14.

Portadown rallied from the restart and after some strong running they were awarded a penalty. Portadown’s out-half got the home side on the score board with his kick, 3-14.

Several minutes later Ballymena were given a chance to restore their 14 point lead from a penalty.

Rory Drysdale made it three from three with his boot, 3-17. The first half finished 3-17 after a 20 minute delay for a serious injury.

The second half started with Ballymena on the back foot but the Braidmen stood strong in defence and showed excellent team work at keeping Portadown out.

On 50 minutes Ballymena scored the only points of the second half when a flat ball from out-half David O’Hara sent centre Darrel Montgomery into space. He handed off the defending full back to score to the left of the posts. Rory Drysdale maintained his 100% kicking by adding the conversion, 3-24.

Seconds: Andrew Ferguson, James Carmichael, James Taggert, Mark Foster, Chris Smyth, Shane McBurney, Willie McKay, James Gallagher, Richard McCrudden, David O’Hara, Mike Smith, Paddy James, Darrel Montgomery, Chris Watson, Rory Drysdale subs Jarrad Bowes, Robbie McGreer.