Ballymena lurched further into relegation trouble with their fifth successive Division One defeat at Eaton Park on Saturday.

Gone is the side that were on a crest of a wave after winning their first three matches of the campaign in succession. Now they are sinking fast into oblivion.

Here once again they showed no spirit, and even less commitment against a very workmanlike Terenure side that was fed a hefty supply of crumbs by a side that hasn't tasted victory since January 2nd.

Success for Terenure means that they are now safe in mid-table after deservedly picking up the spoils on Saturday. They did the simple things well, and produced points from pressure. They were also handed two tries by a very generous home side who produced a litany of schoolboy errors.

Pressure is mounting on Ballymena's South African coach, Andre Bester. His side now have three games left, all away, against Cork Constitution, Blackrock and Galwegians, none of them will be easy.

Even the appearance of a sports psychologist at Eaton Park last week couldn't prevent Saturday's disastrous result.

After David Lynagh and Simon Mason had swapped a couple of penalties each in the early sparring, it was Terenure who stole into the lead at the break. A surging run down the left by international Girvan Dempsey scattered the Ballymena defence, and when Billy Treacy gained possession, he brushed aside the remaining feeble tacklers to walk in under the posts.

There was even better news for Terenure seven minutes after the restart when in trying to counter, Ballymena only succeeded in handing the ball to Shane Cullen who sprinted 60 metres to the try line.

Ballymena did finally find a little fire in their bellies in the final 10 minutes, and Stanley McDowell, their most effective player, crashed over following a storming run. But it was never going to be enough against the very solid defence of Terenure for whom Derek Hegarty played his part to perfection.

Scoring sequence: 12: Lynagh penalty 0-3; 14: Mason penalty, 3-3; 23: Lynagh penalty, 36; 24: Mason penalty, 6-6; 37: Treacy try, Lyagh conversion, 6-13; 47: Cullen try, Lynagh conversion, 6-20; 71: McDowell try, Mason conversion, 13-20.

Ballymena: S Stewart, S Coulter, J Cunningham, J Wells, S McDowell, S Mason, A Matchett, W McAllister, A Stewart, N McKernan, J Andrews, G Longwell, D Macartney, capt, T McWhirter, D Topping. Replacements: M Blair for Andrews, (40 mins); A Graham for S Coulter, (58 mins); S Ritchie for Stewart, (58 mins); C McCarey for Longwell, (82 mins).

Terenure: C Clarke, D Coleman, B Treacy, D Lynagh, G Dempsey, S Cullen, D Hegarty; K Coleman, J Blayney, capt, J Campbell, R Sheriff, C Potts, D Blayney, G Hill, P O'Malley. Replacements: J Jenkinson for Hill, (29 mins); P Walsh for Coleman, (71 mins); D Hylan for K Coleman, (74 mins).

Referee: R McDowell (Munster) (Replaced by Mark Orr, 50 mins).