Ballynahinch 36 St Mary’s 33
By James Kirk
BALLYMACARN Park regulars were treated to an 11 try feast of enterprising rugby as the local side held off a second half comeback from promoted St Mary’s to take full points and put to rest their heavy defeat in Cork the previous Saturday.
Adam Craig rotated his front row with first AIL starts for props Matthew Burke and Tom McAllistair. The rest of the side was unchanged and when set free with quick ball, the backs looked lethal in the first half as they scored five tries to cancel out a very early St Mary’s effort.
Mark Best was a huge threat, with his intelligent running lines and fast hands giving his Dublin opponents all kinds of problems. He ran a typical hard line for the opening score, switched play for centre partner George Pringle to go over and then produced some sleight of hand for Ethan Graham to score as the game swung the way of the home side.
Graham produced a brilliant finish to clinch a bonus point with less than half an hour played and his wing partner Aaron Sexton walked in a long range interception having been denied a similar score moments earlier as Ballynahinch dominated the half to take a big lead into the break.
Read the full report in the current issue of the Mourne Observer.
