Match Report: 1st XV vs Ashbourne

A View from the ‘side-line’ by GPMK

Leinster League Div 1A - Saturday 15th October @ 3.00pm – Donnybrook

Bective Rangers FC 31 – 19 Ashbourne

Classy Bective tame the Ashbourne fightback at Donnybrook

The classy Bective outfit, in brilliant sunshine, provided the home crowd with champagne style rugby to lead Ashbourne by 21 points to nil after 20 minutes of play. Tries by Matthew Gilsenan, Connie Campher, the electric Shane O’Meara were all converted by Matthew Gilsenan. Bective had dominated in all facets of the game, in the set piece, lineouts, and with some slick ball work by Bobby Holland, this scribes ‘Man of the Match’.   

With a change in the weather and the sky clouding over with a threat of rain, Ashbourne management made some changes with the introduction of James McCaghy at hooker and the veteran prop Mark Behan at tighthead. Suddenly the Bective scrum was not as dominant and following a series of scrums and in an attempt to clear the Bective line a charged down kick resulted in Max Samual the Ashbourne winger picking up to score a try. Paddy Murtagh, the Ashbourne out half converted to leave the score at 21 – 7 after 25 minutes of play.

Ashbourne continued to pressurise the Bective attack who conceded several penalties for foul play on the ground which resulted in referee Ian Thompson, ARLB IRFU from Tullow RFC, to issue a warning to the Bective captain. Ashbourne opted to ‘tap and go’ and some solid defensive work by Mark Bennett, Scott Barron and Tiernan McCloskey resulted in Bective awarded a scrum on their own line. On the stoke of half time, Bective were unlucky not to put more daylight between the teams when Jamie Lawless made a break from the back of the scrum and continued to ‘sidestep’ the Ashbourne back line, following a series of missed tackles and with the route to the Ashbourne line clear had Shane O’Meara on his shoulder at the half way line, passed the ball to Shane only for a desperate Ashbourne tackle causing the knock on.

Half Time – Bective Rangers FC 21 – 7 Ashbourne

After halftime, both teams made some changes with Shane O’Loughlin replaced by Jack O’Carroll at scrum half, Fox Fallon at hooker with Scott Barron moving to 6 in the scrum. Ashbourne continued to pressurise the Bective pack with their influential captain Sean Kent and his second-row partner Ciaran Roche to the fore, resulted in their veteran prop Mark Behan scoring a try,-  with the conversion missed, the score was now Bective 21 – 12 Ashbourne, on 51 minutes.

Following changes in the mid field, Bective continued to play an open fast game, and on 61 minutes after some fine ball passing by Bobby Holland saw Shane O’Meara run in for his second try which was converted by Matthew Gilsenan. Bective now had the ‘try bonus point’ to leave the score at 28 -12.

Ashbourne again stuck to their task and continued to pressurise the Bective attack, but the referee’s interpretation of Law 13 Players on the ground in open play, resulted in a series of penalties against Bective and on 70 minutes saw Bective down to 14 men after a yellow card. Ashbourne opted for the scrum and their lively scrumhalf Shane Bass side-stepped the Bective cover to score a try.  Paddy Murtagh added the points to make it 28 – 19 to Bective with 5 minutes remaining.

Bective continued to be on the wrong side of the referees’ decisions but on 79 minutes were awarded a penalty on the Ashbourne 22 – and with time now up Matthew Gilsenan took the 3 points to leave the final score 31 – 19 to Bective.

This was another fine performance from Bernard Jackman’s charges who have now extended to ‘8 in-a-row’ home wins in Leinster League Division 1A.

Next up Sat  22nd October at the earlier KO time of 1.45pm  v  Suttonians in JJ McDowell Memorial Grounds, Station Road, and after four rounds played, there is 8 points separating first and last in the league table.

Full Time – Bective Rangers FC 31 – 19 Ashbourne

Bective Rangers FX – 1XV 15 Tim Maloney, 14 Mikey O'Hare, 13 Shane O'Meara, 12 Bobby Holland, 11 Gwenegan Kiniveren, 10 Matthew Gilsenan, 9 Shane O'Loughlin, 1 Colin Jackson, 2 Scott Barron, 3 Connie Campher, 4 Mark Bennett, 5 Tom Dever, 6 Duarte Costa Campos, 7 Tiernan McCloskey, 8 Jamie Lawless.

Replacements: 16 Fox Fallon, 17 Rodrigo Gens, 18 Joao Francisco Lima, 19 Jack O’Carroll, 20 Sean McCarthy.

Head-to-Head – Leinster League Division 1A - Bective Rangers FC vs Ashbourne

Played 7, Won 4, Draw 0, Lost 3. Points vs Ashbourne – 138 pts (13 T) – 131 pts (12 T)