AIL success for ​Ballynahinch in face of Dublin fightback

It was a second consecutive win for Adam Craig’s side while City of Armagh slipped to sixth after a defeat against leaders Clontarf at Castle Avenue.

Trinity were bottom of the table and it took 10 minutes for Hinch to breach the students’ defence. From a lineout the Hinch pack set up a driving maul with hooker Clayton Milligan being propelled over as full back Conor Rankin added the conversion.

The hosts replied with a penalty on 27 minutes as Ulster winger Aaraon Sexton, who started for the province away to Connacht last Saturday but was released to play club rugby this past weekend, got Hinch’s second try in first-half injury-time. Rakin converted to give the Ballymacarn Park side a 14-3 lead at half-time.

Sexton scored his second try on 53 minutes. The winger hit a hard line at pace in midfield from a lineout move, stepped the last defender and sprinted under the posts with Rankin adding the conversion.

After conceding a number of penalties, Hinch had prop John Dickson yellow-carded. Trinity got a try three minutes later which they converted.

The students scored an unconverted try with six minutes remaining, but Hinch held on to take the four points.

Clontarf raced into a 14-0 lead against Armagh before Barry Flynn got an unconverted try for the Palace Grounds club to reduce the half-time deficit to nine points.

Clontarf score three converted tries after the restart to put the game beyond Armagh.

Jack Treanor got two tries in the last 11 minutes for Chris Parker’s side, with Brayden Laing converting one.

Queen’s dropped to sixth in Division 1B after a below-par performance at the Dub against basement club Buccaneers, a first of the season for the Athlone men.

Queen’s started well with out half James Humphreys kicking two penalties before Buccs scored 16 unanswered points. Humphreys’ third penalty cut the visitors’ half-time advantage to 16-9.

Buccs scored an unconverted try after the break, Queen’s scrum half James Wright sniped over in the closing stages with Humphreys’ conversion earning the students a losing bonus point.

Malone enjoyed a first win of the season in Division 2A after beating Navan 26-25 at Gibson Park thanks to Dan Kerr’s late unconverted try.

Ballymena fell to ninth, going down 23-7 at Eaton Park to leaders Nenagh.

Banbridge suffered a disappointing 28-27 defeat at Rifle Park.

Instonians made it five bonus point wins from five games to main their four-point lead at the top of Division 2B but it took a late penalty from out half Ritchie McMaster to beat Wanderers 39-38.

Rainey climbed off the bottom of the table as the Old Boys scored nine tries in a 62-17 win over Dolphin.

Dungannon drew 17-17 at home to Skerries while Belfast Harlequins went down 54-10 at Corinthians.

Clogher Valley are three points clear at the top of Division 2C after a 36-20 win at Bruff, Bangor remain bottom off the home loss to Galwegians while Omagh went down in Clonmel.