O'Gara saves table toppers

Ronan O'Gara came to the rescue of Cork Constitution with an injury time dropped goal at Templehill on Saturday.

Constitution appeared to be headed for their fourth defeat of the campaign, but O'Gara had other ideas with his late strike.

It would have made no difference to their position at the head of the table but coach Brian Hickey welcomed it all the same. "It is a bit of a boost to win a week before the semi-final," he said.

But Hickey will sweat a bit for the remainder of the week because Munster inter-provincials John Kelly, Anthony Horgan and Donnacha O'Callaghan are all doubtful for Saturday's clash with Young Munster.

Cork Constitution: B Walsh; D Dillon, J Kelly, C Mahony, A Horgan; R O'Gara, B O'Meara; I Murray, J Fogarty, J O'Driscoll, K Murphy, M O'Driscoll, C Taylor, G Murray, E Thorpe. Replacements: R O'Donovan for Horgan (17 mins), A O'Sullivan for Kelly (23 mins), R McGrath for I Murray (50 mins), F Sheahan for J Murray (61 mins).

Ballymena: S Young; J Topping, S Stewart, R Botha, A Maxwell; N Doak, B Free; M McKernan, P Sheils, C Miller, C Beukus , D O'Kane, A Graham, J Taggart, R Nelson. Replacements: G Mitchell for Maxwell, J Darwin for Free (both 50 mins), D Topping for Graham (55 mins), G Lully for Miller (60 mins), B Young for McKernan (65 mins), D McCartney for Beukus (70 mins).

Referee: D Tyndall (Leinster).