In their final fixture of the 2023/24 Energia All-Ireland League Division 2A campaign, Navan triumphed over Country Antrim side Ballymena with a 15-5 victory at Balreask Old. This reversal of their opening round fixture saw Navan finish their season on a high note.
Before the game Navan were led out by stalwarts Leigh Jackson & David Clarke along with their families onto the Balreask Old pitch ahead of kick-off, in what were windy conditions due to the effect of "Storm Kathleen"
Two minutes into the game, an early penalty kick attempt from Mark Farrell hit the upright in the swirling wind, however Navan soon made a breakthrough on four minutes with Kyle Dixon finding space under the posts after a series of pick and goes. Mark Farrell converted, putting Navan ahead 7-0.
Navan sought to make use of the wind at their backs and on eighteen minutes, after a midfield scrum, a well-placed kick allowed Peter McEntagart to win a foot race and score in the left corner. Navan extended their lead to 12-0.
Ten minutes later Navan increased their lead with a penalty kick by Mark Farrell after a high-tackle by Ballymena. This saw Navan leading comfortably 15-0 at the break.
The second half saw Ballymena pushing hard to secure at least one league point to maintain their status. Despite their efforts, Navan's defense held firm.
On 63 minutes though, Ballymena scored a Try after a Navan clearance kick was blocked down, allowing second-row Paddy Browne to touch down in the right corner. The score narrowed to 15-5.
Despite Ballymena's late surge, Navan secured the win, concluding their league program on a high note and finishing in the top half of the final league table. Ballymena, despite the defeat, retained their status due to results elsewhere. Navan now enters the summer off-season before gearing up for another exciting season in Division 2A for 2024/25, which coincides with Navan Rugby Football Club's Centenary Season.

"The Central" Player of the Match:  Ben McEntagart

Navan Men's 1st XV Squad "Sponsored by Hannon Travel":
Rory Gordon, Paddy Fox, Sean McEntagart (Capt), Peter McEntagart, Kyle Dixon, Evan Dixon, Mark Farrell, Liam Carroll, Jamie Kavanagh, Jordan Finney, Eoghan Noonan, Conor Hand, Ben McEntagart, Leon Akopian, Harry Hester, David Clarke, Leigh Jackson, Ryan Healy, Conor Ryan, Jake Matthews, Robbie Lailvaux, Harry Devlin.