The disparity between the teams was appropriately reflected in the final scoreline. Blackrock College might be accused of falling asunder in the final 10 minutes, when they conceded three tries, but that would be a misconception.
Ballymena's closing flourish was a reward for the control they exuded in the previous 70 minutes, squeezing the life out of the visitors' challenge with a patience, intelligence and control that suggests they will offer more than lip service to the scramble for the play-offs.
The home side led 25-6, the match effectively won, with 10 minutes remaining. There was never a hint of apathy or clockwatching; instead, they switched the emphasis of attack, and broadened a game plan to incorporate the talent of their back three, James Topping, Andrew Park and Jan Cunningham, with devastating results.
Prior to the denouement, they did not require such a fluent approach, luxuriating in the dominance of their pack in all aspects of the game and a wonderfully inventive performance from scrumhalf Andy Matchett, replete with vision and flair.
He exploited the holes on the fringes, forged by the excellent Keith Gallick and Andy Dougan, to gain huge yardage. On other occasions, the Ballymena eight simply trundled through the heart of the visiting pack. Shane Byrne aside, resistance was ineffective.
The central aspect to Ballymena's victory, though, was not individual cameos but a fine collective display, a factor identified by captain and hooker Steven Ritchie. "Last week we played as 15 individuals; this time those individuals played as a team."
Blackrock could not match the home pack physically, nor were they as dynamic in possession.
To their credit, Blackrock never stopped trying to use the ball, but a lemming-like penchant for running back to the pack negated any hope of penetration.
The one exception in possession was young full back Tom Keating, whose appetite for work, willingness to test the tackle and desire to keep the ball in hand, put some of his more senior team-mates to shame.
Ballymena responded quickly to an early Alan McGowan penalty with a try from Matchett. Ritchie took a strike against the head, 28 metres out, Matchett exploited the blindside, Dougan added fresh impetus, and when the ball was recycled the scrum-half scampered past David Lynagh.
McAleese missed the conversion, but was not similarly lax on 24 minutes when Topping's beautifully floated pass allowed centre Stanley McDowell to glide through a gap and score in the corner. McAleese struck a superb conversion.
McGowan's second penalty to two from McAleese left Ballymena 12 points ahead at the interval, a margin they increased on 63 minutes: number eight Gallick claimed the touchdown, following seven scrums on the Blackrock line.
McAleese added the extra point, a feat he repeated when Dougan was driven over from a lineout close to the visitors' line on 70 minutes. Further tries by Cunningham and Topping, the first of which Park converted, added to Blackrock's misery.
Scoring Sequence: 8 mins: McGowan penalty (0-3); 16: Matchett try (5-3); 24: McDowell try, McAleese conversion (12-3); 27: McGowan penalty (12-6); 37: McAleese penalty (15-6); 40: McAleese penalty (18-6); 63: Gallick try, McAleese conversion (25-6); 70: Dougan try, McAleese conversion (32-6); 75: Cunningham try, Park conversion (39-6); 80: Topping try (446).
Ballymena: J Cunningham; A Park, M Rainey, S McDowell, J Topping; D McAleese, A Matchett; N McKernan, S Ritchie (capt), R Irwin; R West, G Longwell; A Graham, K Gallick, A Dougan. Replacements: M Boyd for McAleese (74 mins).
Blackrock: T Keating; P Dunne, B Scally, O Cobbe, A Guinan; A McGowan, A Boyd; D Kavanagh, S Byrne, P Flavin; H Kos (capt), J Ryan; D Hackett, D Moore, T Goldfinch. Replacements: D Lynagh for Dunne (11 mins); M Morahan for Moore (half-time); D Grennell for Keating (75 mins).
Referee: D McHugh (Munster).
