We are still wondering how we let this game slip away last Wednesday night at Ballymena. It was a game we controlled, dominated and played the better hurling for the majority of the game.
We started with an early goal, a high ball into the square was doubled on by Gerard McNally and we had the perfect start. A Rory McEvoy point from a tight angle, out on the right touchline and when Stephen Toner pointed following a poor puck out from the Ballymena keeper we had established a 5 point lead.
We dealt with anything that Ballymena threw at us, we were strong in
the tackle and defensively solid, however they were given a way back into the match when a 65 fell among a crowd of players in the square and was pulled to the net. Canice Mooney then struck 3 consecutive points, 2 from frees and the third from play following good work from Sean Smyth and Rory McEvoy. A solitary point was the Ballymena reply. Stephen Toner then took possession of the sliotar and ran at the Ballymena defense, he looked up and picked a perfect pass across the edge of the square and the oncoming Sean Smyth finished to the net leaving the score at half time Ballymena 1-2 Davitts 2-5.
We started the second half with the same determination and tempo, Peter Carleton struck two nice points, with the pick being a left handed effort after nice play from Gary Nelson. As with the first half, we outplayed and out battled the All Saints team with their only reward a single point. Canice Mooney then slotted over 4 unanswered points from frees with the highlight a long range effort which sailed over the black spot.
A sending off seemed to be the final nail in the Ballymena 
coffin, however this seemed to rejuvenate them and they started to pick off a few scores. With a few minutes left we held a 5 point lead but disaster struck as a looping shot found the net to leave only 2 points between the sides. With time up Ballymena lodged a high ball into the 14 yard line and somehow the ball trickled through the congested square, ending up in the net to give Ballymena the win by a single point, 4-6 to 2-11.
The final few minutes of the game proved costly and tainted what, overall was probably our best performance in a few years, however we need to take the positives going forward.
