The last game of a busy Saturday for Ballina RFC ended with a cup victory for the fine U16 team against a competitive and gallant Monivea outfit.
The sides’ previous meeting occurred at the start of the season when they clashed in the league in September. Ballina were victorious on that occasion, but it was an error strewn game and a better encounter was expected this time out.
Ballina management had rung the changes in the team with no less than five positional or personnel alterations for kick-off.
From the outset both teams started at full tilt and although the Moy boys had received the ball a quick turn-over occurred and the visitors were down in the home 22 but stout defence held and the game moved up the field.
The boys in green were playing some great rugby with a new partnership in the centre on fire in attack and defence. Indeed, the whole back line had a great game testing the visitors in close and out wide.
Following a line out, the ball was whipped out the line for a quick ruck in the middle of the park before the ball was taken by wing Mark Barrett at full pace and he skipped down the line, leaving tacklers in his wake to crash over in the corner with two defenders on his back.
Shortly after the restart the ball ended in the hands of Harry West and he set the game alight. He attacked the line but the Monivea defence was up fast so the pass outside was not on. Harry jinked inside the first line and the tore through the second wave, before slaloming by a despairing fullback to dot down under the posts and Ballina were 12-0 clear.
The booming restart kick was received into the grateful arms of Fiachna Barrett and he raced into the heart of the onrushing defence. The Ballina systems then kicked in kicked in and after two quick rucks the ball ended in the hands of Liam Golden who drove for the line to leave Ballina 17-0 clear at half time.

After the break, management made more changes with every player giving their all, but these changes disrupted the flow of the game and also injuries robbed the team of some of its intensity.
The gallant Monivea boys worked their way into the home 22 and proceeded to pound the line with their huge pack which eventually yielded a try and closed the gap to 17-5 .
This gave the guests great heart and they pushed forward again but Iarla Quinn intercepted a Monivea pass and sprinted up the field to touch down for a converted try and a 24-5 victory.
This was a hugely entertaining game and the squad and management now look forward to the quarter final at home in two weeks’ time.

BALLINA: Darragh Walsh, Daniel Boland, Hedd Morgan, Harry Reagan(Capt), Jack Gawley, Alex Hennigan, Fiachna Barrett, Davin Feeney, Harry West, Liam Golden, Tomás O'Boyle, Sean Murphy, John Ginty, Liam Connor, Kian Meyerink, Cian Gibbons, Iarla Quinn, Mark Barret, Alex Moran, Aaron O’Malley, Kyran Jordan, Blair Norton, Mark Barrett.