Braidmen lose unbeaten tag in All-Ireland League
In a game played mostly in a downpour, Ballymena’s unbeaten record fell to a committed Malone side at Eaton Park.
Apart from the first five minutes of the game when Ballymena enjoyed a degree of supremacy, the first half belonged to Malone.
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Hide AdIn those forty minutes, thanks to a dominant scrum and a strong defence, Malone denied Ballymena any kind of scoring chance, kicking two penalties to give the a 6-0 lead at half time.
That lead proved decisive, as Ballymena, largely deprived of good possession, failed to make inroads into the Malone defence, their only reward being a James Beattie try, while Malone lock Cory Tipping responded in kind for his side.
This loss and a victory for Galwegians means that Ballymena slip to second place in the Division 1B table.