Dromore began proceedings, kicking off towards the Nevin Spence stand. The early exchanges were tight, and Dromore had an opportunity to take the lead in the second minute when Adam Keating lined up a penalty, but his effort drifted wide of the posts.
Dromore then built some promising phases, a powerful driving maul allowing them to break into the Ballynahinch 22 and set up camp on the 5-metre line. However, the Ballynahinch defence held firm, preventing Dromore’s forward unit from crossing the whitewash.
Ballynahinch cleared their lines effectively through a good kick from Harry McKeown in the 6th minute. Two minutes later, Ballynahinch’s Paddy Wright made a sharp break, testing the Dromore defence with some significant hits coming in. The Hinch attack penetrated the Dromore 22, but their progress was halted by an excellent turnover from Dromore’s Harry Long in the 9th minute, keeping the scoreboard at 0-0.
Hinch's Ryan Drain showcased his agility with some great footwork in the 10th minute, and it was Ballynahinch who drew first blood. A minute later, Harry McKeown stepped up and slotted a penalty, giving his side a 0-3 lead.
Ballynahinch then extended their lead in the 24th minute. Harry McCormick sliced through the Dromore defence and touched down under the posts, making McKeown’s conversion a straightforward one, pushing the score to 0-10.
Just before the halftime break, Dromore finally found their way onto the scoreboard. In the 42nd minute, Matthew Millar crossed the try line, and Adam Keating added the extras, reducing the deficit.
Half-Time: Dromore 7 - 10 Ballynahinch 2XV
The second half began with intensity. In the 44th minute, Ballynahinch’s Peter Heasley turned over possession and made a significant break, taking his team to the Dromore 5-metre line. After a series of well-executed phases, scrum-half, Conor Gibson, delivered a quick pass to the powerful Stephen Campbell, who barrelled over for Ballynahinch’s second try. McKeown’s successful conversion extended their lead to 7-17.
Dromore attempted to utilise the width of the field, employing long passes in the 47th minute, but they were met by a resolute Ballynahinch defence. A minute later, Dromore’s number 8, Gary Dillon, made an impressive break, beating two defenders to surge deep into the Ballynahinch 22, but the opportunity was lost as they were put into touch.
From the resulting 5-metre lineout in the 49th minute, Dromore made no mistake. A powerful driving maul propelled Mark Hylands over the line for their second try. Keating’s conversion was good, closing the gap to just three points at 14-17.
The game became a tight battle for possession. In the 53rd minute, Ballynahinch’s number 8, Stephen Campbell, produced a great offload to Chris Gibson, who made a good run and kick chase, but Dromore recovered well.
Dromore had a promising attack in the 58th minute, making a good break in the line, but the ball went loose on the wing, denying them a potential score. In the 60th minute, Dromore had a golden opportunity to level the score after being awarded a penalty from a scrum, but Keating’s kick went wide, keeping the score at 14-17.
Ballynahinch then began to build momentum. A charge down in the 62nd minute propelled them closer to the Dromore 22, and some strategic kicks from Harry McKeown maintained the pressure on the Dromore defence.
In the 67th minute, Ballynahinch extended their lead with another successful penalty from the boot of Harry McKeown, making it 14-20. Dromore’s Gary Dillon continued to display dynamic play in the 68th minute, trying to spark a comeback.
Dromore reduced the arrears once more in the 70th minute when they were awarded a penalty, and Adam Keating made no mistake this time, slotting it through the posts to bring the score to 17-20.
With the clock ticking down, Dromore showed hunger for another score, stringing together a series of well-worked phases in the 73rd minute, but the Ballynahinch defence remained resolute.
Tempers flared in the dying moments of the game, with both teams losing a player to the sin bin after an altercation in the 76th minute.
As the clock turned red in the 81st minute, Ballynahinch winger Joe Bingham broke free and sailed over the gain line, securing the victory for his side. Harry McKeown added the final gloss to the scoreline with the conversion.
Full-Time: Dromore 17 - 27 Ballynahinch 2XV
Scorers
Dromore
Tries: Matthew Millar, Mark Hylands
Conversion: Adam Keating (2)
Penalty: Adam Keating
Ballynahinch 2XV
Try: Harry McCormick, Stephen Campbell, Joe Bingham
Conversion: Harry McKeown (3)
Penalty: Harry McKeown (2)
Teams
Dromore
15 Jonny Hunter, 14 Brian McClearn, 13 Aaron Stewart, 12 Dean Dillon, 11 Jack Dillon, 10 Adam Keating, 9 Sam McElroy, 8 Gary Dillon, 7 Ryan Hughes (C), 6 Harry Long, 5 Richard Dickson, 4 Ross Bingham, 3 Matthew Millar, 2 Rory Stewart, 1 Adam Hanna
Replacements
16 Mark Hylands, 17 Ross Stewart, 18 Andrew Black, 19 Ben Carey, 20 Josh Patterson
Ballynahinch 2XV
15 Ryan Drain, 14 Joe Bingham, 13 Matthew Booth, 12 Paddy Wright, 11 Aaron Cairns (C), 10 Harry McKeown, 9 Conor Gibson, 8 Stephen Campbell, 7 Ben Wilson, 6 Peter Heasley, 5 Ryan Connolly, 4 Tom Martin, 3 Harry McCormick, 2 Kelvin Hamilton, 1 Scott Connolly
Replacements
16 Brian Howard, 17 Joe Charles, 18 Gareth Gill, 19 Matthew Sweetlove, 20 Chris Gibson