Match Result
- Result: Galwegians Seconds 17 - Ballina 25
- Venue: Crowley Park on Sun Oct 7th 2012
- Competition: Connacht J1A League
Match Report
Galwegians 2nds suffered a tough defeat when an impressive Ballina side scored a bonus point victory on a typically crisp October Sunday afternoon at Crowley Park.
The visitors from north Mayo controlled the game from the start and got on the score board with a penalty after 4 minutes. 0-3.
Wegians struggled to get out of their own half through a mixture of handling errors and aggressive Ballina rucking.
However on the one foray the home side did make into the opposition end of the field they scored a cracking try.
The forwards provided some good go forward ball, scrum-half Conor O'Rourke snipped around the side of a ruck and deftly fed the on-rushing prop Paul Griffin. Griffin bulldozed through a couple of tackles before being brought down, but in the process of hitting the ground he produced the most audacious of off-loads to the supporting 2nd row Dinny Mulvey, who finished off with aplomb under the posts. 7-3.
However the score didn't phase the visitors who intelligently mixed up their attacking options as they dominated possession and territory for the rest of the half and they were rewarded with 2 well taken tries to lead by 8 at the half. 7-15
Wegians cut down on the turnovers and started to dictate the pace of the game following the restart. Their constant pressure rattled the visitors enough to have their outhalf sin binned and allow Wegians outhalf Ross Shaughnessy to slot a penalty. 10-15.
Wegians propensity to turn the ball over returned as they tried to take advantage of their superior numbers and a Ballina interception gave the visitors a 10 point cushion. 10 - 20.
Wegians produced some of their most cohesive phase of the game followed that setback and they eventually forced their way over the Ballina try line when flanker Ross Fitzgerald took a great line off a ruck on the Ballina line to score a try and setup a tense final 10 minutes. 17-20.
The game ebbed and flowed but the from a Wegian perspective is flowed the wrong way and Ballina finished the game by scoring a try with the last play to give them a bonus point victory.
