The scoreline hides the fact that it took Ballymena all of 55 minutes to wear down a hard-working Harlequins side. The first half should have brought Harlequins some dividends. Instead they found themselves 10-3 in arrears and when stand-in scrumhalf Neil Doak added to that total with a penalty soon after the restart, a win was beyond them.

Ballymena had to work hard initially to repel a series of attacks from the Harlequins forwards. They defended well, and twice broke upfield to score. First Gary Longwell, a late inclusion, won a lineout and following a forward drive, his second row partner Mark Blair emerged as the try scorer. Doak scored the conversion before adding a penalty.

Andy Matchett, one of six former Ballymena players returning to Eaton Park, tormented the home side and his intelligent kick midway through the half set up the chance for Niall Malone to convert his only chance of the game.

As the game progressed, Harlequins began to panic, and in the end presented Ballymena with two more tries. In the 55th minute, they attempted to run a penalty from deep, but lost possession and Blair put Rhys Botha over in the corner. Then the excellent Russell Nelson did well to intercept Mathcett's pass and charge 25 metres to the posts.

Ballymena secured a bonus point when Botha made the vital space to put his fellow centre Shane Stewart over. Doak converted to keep his 100 percent kicking record intact and add a flattering look to the scores.

Scoring Sequence: 5 mins: Blair try, Doak con, 7-0; 18: Malone pen, 7-3; 27: Doak pen, 10-3; 45: Doak pen, 13-3; 55: Botha try, Doak con, 20-3; 69: Nelson try, Doak con, 27-3; 73: [RO ] Stewart try, Doak con, 34-3.

Ballymena: J Park; J Topping, S Stewart, R Botha, S Young; A Derwin, N Doak; N McKernan, P Shields, C Millar, M Blair, G Longwell, A Graham, R Nelson, J Taggart. Replace- ments: J Wells for Park (74 mins), S McDowell for Young (45 mins), W M McAllister for McKernan (73 min), R Kernoghan for Shields (78 mins), C Beukes for Longwell (78 mins), D Macartney for Graham (74 mins).

Belfast Harlequins: P Hancock; S Coulter, S Dick, B Dick, R Morrow; N Malone, A Matchett; S Best, R Weir, C Boyd, K Rabie, A Robinson, G Longwell, C McCarey, N Best. Replacements: D Irwin for Rapie (51 mins), A Park for S Dick (64 mins), J Pollin for B Dick (78 mins), D Scott for Boyd (74 mins).

Yellow cards: C Millar (Ballymena), R Weir (Harlequins).

Referee: D Keane (Leinster).