On Saturday, Ballymoney 3rd XV returned to league action as they hosted Donegal Town at Kilraughts Road.

Ballymoney started brightly, taking the initiative early in the game. Strong carries from the forwards pushed play deep into the Donegal 22, and Neal Mulholland opened the scoring for the Toon, crashing over from close range to make it 7–0.

The home side continued to dominate territory and possession, with Mick McGaughey powering over to extend the lead to 14–0. Harry Orr then added his name to the scoresheet with a well-worked try out wide, taking the score to 21–0. Donegal responded before half time with a try of their own, narrowing the gap to 21–7 at the break.

The visitors carried their momentum into the second half, scoring again to make it 21–14. With a Ballymoney player shown a yellow card, the Toon knew they would have to dig deep to hold their lead. Their defence stood firm, with Finn McCotter and Gary Balmer putting in some huge tackles to repel the Donegal attack.

Looking to reassert control, Ballymoney struck again when McGaughey offloaded to Jonny Waide, who crossed the line to restore a comfortable 28–14 lead.

With the game opening up, Ballymoney began to use their backline pace to full effect. Ben McAuley made strong runs down the wing, creating space for Gary Pattison to sprint through and score, extending the lead to 35–14. Shortly after, Harry Orr offloaded to Waide for his second try of the match, making it 40–14.

In the closing minutes, Neal Mulholland powered over for his second try of the game to seal a convincing 45–14 victory.

Ballymoney would like to thank Donegal Town for making the journey and for the great craic afterwards in the clubhouse. The Toon now have a two-week break before returning to action on 29th November, when they take on UUCM 1st XV.

Ballymoney RFC

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