Ballymena lost both kicker Dirkie Strydom and second row Darren Best to injury in this lively encounter.

The visitors were chasing the game from an early stage with Robbie Dolan landing a penalty after three minutes.

Lansdowne were then stopped just short of the line following several phases of play before Gavin O'Meara's pass out wide released Greg Stafford for a try on 17 minutes.

Strydom opened Ballymena's account with a long range kick five minutes later.

Just short of the half hour good work from the Ballymena pack allowed Pat Steenkamp to storm his way over. Four minutes later scrum half Peter Spence sent Peter Budina over in the right-hand corner.

The second half was five minutes old when Lansdowne front row John Lyne burrowed his way over on the left-hand side but with a strong breeze making life difficult for both teams, another 27 minutes elapsed before Lansdowne out-half Mana Ashford accelerated away from the Ballymena cover to make the right hand corner.

LANSDOWNE R Dolan; N Walsh, G Stafford, C Casey, J Lynn; M Ashford, S Whelan; J Lyne, G O'Meara, P Doran-Jones, A Maher, D Toner, D Lavin, N Ronan, R Boucher Subs A McCormick for Lynn, h-t; K Corrigan for O'Meara, 49 mins; K Cleere for Doran-Jones 60 mins

BALLYMENA D Strydom; P Budina, J Topping, J McGruggan, A Maxwell; J Richie, P Spence; P Steenkamp, M Harshaw, T Court, D Best, R Young, G Moore, N McMillan, C Henry Subs C Smith for Strydom 40 mins, S Shawe for Steenkamp 49 mins, A Graham for Moore on 60 mins, S Douglas for Best on 63 mins, D Drake for Spence on 79 mins Referee P Fitzgibbon (Munster)