Ballymena ... 14 Shannon ... 13: Last year Shannon would have survived a match like this one. With the champions six points ahead and into the last minute of normal time, it looked like Ballymena would have to settle for considerably less than what they expected at Eaton Park. Johnny Watterson reports

A yellow card to Shannon tight head Tony Buckley on 70 minutes left a strung-out Limerick defence drifting across their 22 and thinner than they should have been.

A little pace from Ballymena centre Rob Smart into the flimsiest of gaps beside outhalf Niall McNamara in the home side's final assault of the game and Shannon let everything they had fought so hard for slip away.

Smart touching down under the posts for an easy conversion put Ballymena 14-13 in front in injury time. Shannon had no way back.

In a game more memorable for its player effort and multi-phased play, much of it not getting anywhere, than for accomplished rugby, the last 10 minutes looked like they were going according to Shannon's objective of a win to keep pressure on league leaders Clontarf.

Playing with the wind on their backs, the visitors used their kicking to the corners more astutely in the second half than Ballymena had done in the first 40 minutes. Inexplicably, having scored their first try from a punt to the corner and a drive from a line-out, Ballymena failed then to use the same tactic with any consistency while they had the wind.

Instead they remained just 7-3 ahead at the break, Neil McMillan's touchdown in the drive and Smart's conversion overhauling Andrew Thompson's 15th-minute penalty.

"We put ourselves under unbelievable pressure not playing territory in the first half. Our plan was to go wider but that didn't happen," said Tony D'Arcy.

The Ballymena coach had five of his Ulster provincials back in the side, which strengthens the team considerably but occasionally lessens the overall co-ordination.

"We're lucky to get out of jail. Our attack left a lot to be desired today. In the first half we lost three or four line-outs. Too many mistakes," he added.

Halfway through the season, Shannon, at fifth, are still very much in position for a top-four place, with Ballymena well placed just behind Clontarf. Both teams will also realise another gear will have to be found.

Shannon showed superb defensive qualities, particularly in the last phases of the first half when Ballymena were surging at them on the left flank. Tony Buckley, Brian Buckley, Mick Galwey, David Quinlan and Tony Hayes all put their bodies on the line.

During those desperate 10 minutes Ballymena did get over, but referee Alain Rolland ruled that the ball was not on terra firma, while in a final belt from the pack just before Rolland's half-time whistle, winger Scotty Young's sniping effort was flattened inches short.

Four points behind and with the wind still fresh, Shannon could reasonably expect the momentum to shift their way on the resumption - and on 51 minutes it did in the most unlikely way.

In attack and with a two-on-two, Shannon threaded a grubber kick through for left wing Colm McMahon, running from two yards offside. Ballymena were too interested in hauling him back to complain and Shannon got away with it.

With Thompson's conversion, Shannon were back in front 7-10, while it took another Thompson penalty, his third success from five kicks, to give them a little more comfort at 7-13.

Thompson was fortunate that Rolland did not listen to the screaming Ballymena support when he obstructed Jim Topping as the former Ireland winger hacked ahead and began the chase. But Buckley, an exciting hulk of a player in the loose, then got his marching orders.

With Shannon down to 14 and a hint of panic in the camp, Ballymena set up what was to be their last platform.

From Thompson's infringement on Topping, Ballymena brought the game into the Shannon zone. A scrum on the right for Ballymena, Shannon a man down, Smart eloquently living up to his name - and a long, quiet bus-ride home awaited coach Geoff Boylan's men.

Scoring sequence: 15 mins: A Thompson pen 0-3; 18 mins: N McMillan try, R Smart con 7-3; Halftime. 51 mins: C McNamara try 7-10; 61 mins: Thompson pen 7-13; 79 mins: Smart try, con 14-13.

BALLYMENA: M Waterhouse; J Topping, R Aiono, H Jones, S Young; R Smart, P Spence; N McKernan, P Shields, B Young, M Blair, McCullough, J Taggart, N McMillan, R Nelson. Replacements: S McConnell for McKernan 47 mins; D O'Kane for Taggart 55 mins; D Topping for Jones 57 mins.

SHANNON: J Lacey; D O'Donovan, A Thompson, E Cahill, C McMahon; N McNamara, F O'Loughlin; F Roche, J Blaney, T Buckley, B Buckley, M Galwey, T Hayes, E Halvey, D Quinlan. Replacements: T Horgan for Halvey 40 mins; G McNamara for Hogan 76 mins

Referee: A Rolland.