Navan’s hopes of climbing the Energia All-Ireland League Division 2A table suffered a setback on Saturday as they fell to Ballymena in a hard-fought contest at Eaton Park. In this rescheduled Round Ten fixture, both sides were battling to secure vital points in their bid to move away from the lower end of the standings.

The home side came out with intensity, pinning Navan back early on. Ballymena missed an early penalty attempt in the third minute, but their pressure paid off in the eighth minute when their hooker crossed the line from a well-executed lineout maul, giving them a 5-0 lead after the conversion was missed.

Navan grew into the game as the first half progressed, taking control in both territory and possession. Their persistence was rewarded ten minutes before halftime when they kicked to the corner following a Ballymena penalty. From the resulting lineout, Navan’s forwards drove towards the line, allowing hooker Gary Faulkner to break off and score. Out-half Tom Gavigan added the conversion to edge Navan ahead 7-5.

Buoyed by their opening try, Navan maintained their attacking momentum. Just before the interval, Gavigan capitalized on a gap in the Ballymena defense, darting over from five meters out and converting his own try to send Navan into the break with a 14-5 advantage.

The second half saw Ballymena respond with renewed energy. Their pace and width in attack stretched Navan’s defense, and their winger finished in the left corner for a converted try, narrowing the gap to 14-12.

Navan’s task became more difficult midway through the half when second-row Jordan Finney received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. Ballymena seized the opportunity, retaking the lead with a penalty in front of the posts before extending it further with a counter-attacking try. Their full-back finished off a sweeping move in the corner, and the successful conversion pushed the score to 22-14.

Five minutes from time, a misfired Navan lineout gifted Ballymena possession, and their hooker powered over for his second try of the afternoon, securing the bonus point. Despite the setback, Navan captain Evan Dixon responded with a close-range try, which Gavigan converted to close the deficit to eight points. However, Ballymena managed possession well in the closing moments, kicking to touch at the final whistle to seal a 29-21 victory.

The result sees Navan slip to ninth place, one point behind Ballymena, with four crucial games remaining in the campaign. Next up, they welcome league leaders Instonians to Balreask Old in Round Fifteen, where they will be eager to bounce back.

Navan Men's 1st XV Squad "Sponsored by Hannon Travel":
Evan Dixon (capt), Harry Devlin, Mathijs de Wit, Kyle Dixon, Woodley Nicholson, Tom Gavigan, Mark Farrell, Liam Carroll, Gary Faulkner, Leigh Jackson, Jordan Finney, Conor Hand, Michael Brady, Ben McEntagart, Tom Ciot.

Replacements: Anthony Martinez, Shane O’Connor, Liam McAree, Conor Ryan, Jack Dixon.