But to the Braidmen's credit they refused to crumble in the face of whining propeller blades and a UL Bohemians side that, at times, played with a precision and pace that the home side could not live with.

In the end, Bohs took five points from their 29-22 win to stay second in the table, but it might have been different but for a stream of errors and poor decision making that afflicted Ballymena's dogged fightback from an initial 12-0 deficit and then, later, a 16-point margin when Bohs led 26-10.

The Blacks' cause was undermined by the arrival of uncontested scrums - thanks to Bohs losing two props to injury - which ensured that the home side's superiority in this area was conveniently wiped out for the last half-hour, a situation that considerably vexed the Ballymena management.

Afterwards, coach Jacques Benade could only admit that Ballymena's poor start had proved fatal to his side's chances.

"We could have and should have won, but we just gave them a 12-point start and from then we were just playing catch-up.

"We made stupid mistakes and our indiscipline cost us dear. We have to stop making so many stupid mistakes," he said.

Still, there were positives from Ballymena's second consecutive league reverse - one which could spell the end of any hopes of a play-off place despite Saturday's losing bonus point.

The performance of scrum half Ross Connor, making his senior debut, was certainly eye-catching. The teenager scored 12 points, alongside tries from Peter Budina and Glen Moore, and looked a useful goal kicking option should Dirkie Strydom, as is widely expected, shortly return to South Africa.

Elsewhere, there was more drama from Grafton Belfast Harlequins as they triumphed 43-36 at Blackrock for their second successive win as the bottom club continues its bid to escape relegation. Quins scored six tries, with Chris McCarey grabbing a brace and Darren Cave, Colin Atkinson, Lewis Stevenson and John Andress all crossing.

Dungannon showed they can flourish without their Ulster contingent to see off Lansdowne 20-8 at Stevenson Park.

The Tyrone side's fifth consecutive league win - Richard McCarter scored 15 points - sees them rise to third in the table while, in the Division Two basement, Malone managed to come away with a bonus point in going down 13-11 at Bective.