Bonus point win for Bective at Ashbourne

Ashbourne RC 07 Bective Rangers FC 29

1XV/2XV MATCH PHOTOS

ROUND FOUR of the Leinster League Div. 1A Bective travelled up to Ashbourne in good form with 2 wins behind them, knowing that a win would build the momentum heading into the next 3 matches before the International break .

Bective welcomed back from injury Oliver Foot , Matthew Gilsenan and Shane O’Meara and also 2023/24 Capt. Mattie Keane on the bench.

On a beautiful autumn day and on a perfect pitch with Referee Ciaron O’Flynn Coolmine RFC on the whistle, Bective hopes were high.

The initial exchanges favoured the home side with Bective having to withstand sustained Ashbourne pressure as their young side with half backs Patrick Dillon and Ben Mahon prominent. It took a fantastic break off the back of a scrum by Jamie Lawless, offloading to Capt. Tiarnan McCloskey bringing play to the hosts 25 to lift the siege. With Bective beginning to settle into their rhythm with Tim Carroll either pinning Ashbourne back with his left boot or causing havoc with his probing runs, scoring opportunities were beginning to open up for Bective. That said the team were down to 14 as Donagh Lawler was sinbined after 15minutes. With the score 0-0, Bective still played the patient game and were rewarded after 25 minutes , when after a great Conor Kelly take from the lineout setting up the maul for Jamie Lawless to crash over , with Mikey O’Hare converting Bective had hit the front. 7 – 0

Back to 15 on the pitch, the excellent James Gallagher replaced Capt Tiarnan McCloskey and the team got stuck in with some great phases of play. It was one of these phases that after great work out wide by Mikey O’Hare running a great line inside to set up the ruck for the 3 St. Michael’s lads Gilsenan and prop Mulvihill to set up Mikey O’Hare again to touch down out wide, with the conversion missed, Bective were well worth their 12-0 lead.

Unfortunately Bective were to suffer an injury to No 8 Jamie Lawless replaced by Mattie Keane.

Mattie didn’t wait long to leave his mark, after couple of brilliant carries up the middle of the pitch, aided by the Kelly brothers resulted in a fantastic try by James Gallagher with the conversion by Mikey, Bective were 19-0 up with Referee O’Flynn blowing the whistle for the end of the half.

Half Time – Ashbourne 0 Bective Rangers FC 19 (3)

Bective returned with Mattie Keane returning to the bench to be replaced by Capt Tiernan McCloskey. Great shift from the flanker after his long lay off through injury. So it was normal service from Bective on the resumption with the Capt Tiernan McCloskey rejuvenated after his rest on the bench and through some lovely phases of play with Donagh Lawler, James Gallagher and Conor and Gavin Kelly prominent. Bobby Holland, Ollie Foote and Matthew Gilsenan were now orchestrating the play to combine for that man Shane O’Meara to touch down in the corner for the bonus try, with the conversion missed Bective were in front by 24-0.

Another injury unfortunately Ben Garret replaced by Conor Murphy.

To be fair to Ashbourne try as the might their young team took the game to Bective, but with their fine out half Mahon having an off day with his line kicking limiting their attack options.

With Bective now using the bench with hooker Luke Mion and No 10 Ollie Foot retiring, and Tom Dever and Mattie Keane returning it was now a case to manage the last 15 minutes against an Ashbourne 15 playing for their pride and to be fair losing a couple of their own through injury, especially their tight head prop Bislin early in the game.

So it was that a typical carry down the right wing by Mattie Keane setting up Donagh Lawler to bring the play to the Ashbourne 22, with Bobby Holland whipping the pass to Tadgh O’Dwyer to Matthew Gilsenan, great hands to Tim Carroll, finding replacement Conor Murphy running a great line, to draw the cover and send yes, Shane O’Meara over for his 2nd try of the game. With the difficult conversion missed,  Bective 29 -0 after 24 minutes.

With still 15 minutes still on the clock Ashbourne  weren’t for throwing in the towel and after a lineout and a couple of offloads were rewarded with a converted  try by their impressive scrum half Pat Dillon . Bective 29 – 7.

Bective maybe could have had another score but fair play to all the players as they had to dig deep to withstand an Asbourne late revival and keep the score. 29-7.

Next up: Energeia All-Ireland Junior Cup. Bective 1st XV are away to Mallow RC on Saturday, October 26th. Kick-off is at 2.30 pm at The Beeches, Mallow.

Full Time – Ashbourne 07 (1) Bective Rangers FC 29 (5)

Bective Rangers 1XV: 15 Tim Carroll, 14 Mikey O’Hare, 13 Ben Garrett, 12 Mattew Gillsenan, 11 Shane O’Meara, 10 Oliver Foote, 9 Bobby Holland, 1 Rory Mulvihill, 2 Luke Mion, 3 Conor Kelly, 4 Tadhg O’Dwyer, 5 Gavin Kelly, 6 James Gallagher, 7 Tiarnan McCloskey ©, 8 Jamie Lawless. Finishers: 16 Matthew Keane, 17 Tom Dever, 18 Donagh Lawler, 19 Craig Cantwell, 20 Connor Murphy.                 

Head to Head – Ashbourne RC vs Bective Rangers FC

Played 11, Won 7, Lost 4. Points (F) 202, 26 T (A) 163, 19 T.

1XV/2XV MATCH PHOTOS

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