Ulster Bank League
Bective vs. U. C. D.
5th February 2011 Match report thanks to Conor Donnelly UCD outlasted a dogged Bective team 16-9 in the crucial clash of second and third place teams at a rain soaked Donnybrook last Saturday. Rangers, who came into the match trailing their opponents by four points in the standings, looked to rectify that quickly. On nine minutes they took the lead thanks to the boot of outhalf, Georoid O’Grady, from a penalty in front of the posts.UCD responded with a penalty of their own on fifteen minutes to bring the scores level at three a piece. The game was played under a heavy downpour for the duration of the contest.This meant the ball was as easy to handle as a wet bar of soap and both teams suffered from handling errors that mirrored those that had plagued Ireland earlier in the day in Rome. Indeed because of the conditions UCD, a team known to play a running style of rugby, and Bective engaged in kick tennis in a bid to gain territorial advantage. As the teams traded serves back and forth in conditions far from a summer’s day in Wimbledon it would be the home side who would blink first knocking the ball on inside their own half. UCD failed to capitalise however and the danger was cleared.
But the visitors would not be denied for long. On twenty seven minutes UCD found themselves in possession of the ball inside the Rangers half. A grubber kick by winger, John Conroy, squirmed its way through a flat footed Bective defence. Conroy collected the ball and tried his luck once again with the boot. The ball bounced off the hand of the onrushing Bective fullback and landed kindly for UCD who spread the ball quickly to the wing before the home team could get enough numbers in the defence line. Winger, Tom Fletcher, was the grateful recipient of the ball and he ran in for the first try of the match. After the conversion was missed the scoreboard read 8-3 in favour of the students. Buoyed by that score UCD were in the ascendancy. They pressed to extend their lead but some stout defending by the home side meant they were unable to do so. In fact it would be Bective on thirty three minutes who would register the next score of the match. A good scrum by the Bective pack put UCD under pressure and they conceded a penalty. Bective opted to go for the posts from a seemingly difficult position near the far touchline between the UCD twenty-two and ten metre line. Georoid O’Grady justified his captain’s confidence in him by slotting the ball between the posts to make it 8-6. Thirty eight minutes had elapsed when Rangers had the chance to grab their first lead of the match. UCD centre, Andy Cummiskey, rushed to rid himself of the ball when he heard the fast approaching footsteps of a Bective defender bearing down on him. In his haste Cummiskey knocked the ball on and conceded a scrum. Once again the Bective pack put their opposite numbers to the sword and won a penalty. Bective opted for the posts but this time O’Grady, whose scintilating form with the boot in Bective’s previous match had been crucial, sent his kick just left and short of the uprights. An exciting first half was brought to a close in bizarre circumstances. The referee had signalled for half time and both sets of coaches made their way on to the field for the halftime team talk. However they were ushered off the field after one of the linesmen alerted the referee to an off the ball incident that occurred just before the break. Bective hooker, Alex O’Sullivan, was deemed to be the offender and was sent to the bin for his actions. UCD were awarded a penalty. They opted for the posts and missed bringing the half to a close for a second time. Bective started brightly after the interval and registered the first score of the second half from a penalty to make it 9-8. UCD nearly hit back straight away. Bective failed to deal with the restart and conceded a penalty. The kick hit the upright and bounced around dangerously near the Bective line before the home side seized the ball and cleared it from near disaster. The match took a decisive turn on fifty four minutes when Bective were penalised at a scrum.Hooker, Alex O’Sullivan, was judged to be the guilty party and was shown his second yellow card of the match and sent off, much to the dismay of the vocal home support. UCD converted the resulting penalty to take a 11-9 lead. Bective went flat for a large period of the second half after being reduced to fourteen men and at times looked like they were shell shocked at the dismissal. UCD began to take control of the game and with the penalty count flowing against Rangers it was only a matter of time before they increased their advantage to overcome a resolute Bective defence. They did so on sixty- two minutes after a great run by flanker, Shane Granell, brought play into the Bective twenty-two. Granell fed a glorious sleight of hand pass to UCD fullback, Michael Twomey, who finished the move in the corner to increase the lead to seven points making the score 16-9. Bective finally snapped out of their malaise in the last fifteen minutes of the match. But at times they were too frenetic when in possession resulting in knock ons and lost opportunities. Rangers pressed hard in search of the equalising try but the ball was slowed down through both legal and at times somewhat dubious means by UCD players. Bective’s best chance came in the dying moments of the match when they marched their way into UCD territory. They tried to move the ball out wide but were stopped when a UCD defender reached out and swatted the ball away in what looked like a deliberate knock on but the referee did not see fit to produce a card. Bective fell just short in their efforts and when the final whistle was blown UCD remained undefeated with a 16-9 victory. Bective will look back at this game with regret and frustration at some key refereeing decision during the game. However the visitors knew they had been in a battle and it is to Bective’s great credit that they showed immense heart and character to stay in contention until the end despite being a man down for the majority of the second half. |
Bective News 
