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1st XV vs. Greystones Match Report |
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Kieran Murphy Trophy Match Bective vs. Greystones Wednesday, March 16th 2011 Match report thanks to Conor Donnelly Bective enjoyed a 36-14 victory over Greystones in an entertaining game in Donnybrook last Wednesday night. Before the game started there was a minute’s silence for Bective President, Joe Nolan, who tragically passed away in the immediate aftermath of the Ireland v Wales game in the Millennium stadium. Mr. Nolan was widely regarded as one of the most successful managers and captains in Bective history and was also the captain of Greystones in 1968. Just before his death Mr. Nolan was strongly promoting this game between Bective and Greystones and he must have had a smile on his face as a very strong crowd came out in force to watch the match and to pay tribute to him for his efforts for the Bective cause. In a match- up of the best defence in the Ulster Bank League, Bective, and the second highest points scorers, Greystones, it was Bective who opened the scoring on five minutes from a penalty by Gearoid O’ Grady for a 3-0 early lead. A sloppy restart by Bective opened the door for Greystones to reply immediately with a penalty of their own just inside the ten metre line. The Greystones fullback who was on kicking duty for the contest sent a low drive of a kick just wide and the score remained 3-0 in favour of the home side.
Bective extended their lead on ten minutes from a scrum inside the visitor’s territory. Bective moved the ball down the blindside where there was no Greystones defender and Henry Bryce crossed the line with ease. Georoid O’Grady slotted over the challenging conversion from the far touchline to leave the scoreboard at 10-0 in Bective’s favour. That try would prove to be the opening salvo for Bective as for the next twenty minutes they blitzed their opponents with an awesome display of power and razor sharp finishing when they had a sniff of the line. Bective's second try came five minutes later. Bective prop, Alitase Ale, found himself with the ball and the prop rumbled his way up the heart of the Greystones defence with a mazing run that caught the visitors and perhaps his teammates unaware. He was finally brought down inside the Greystones twenty-two but ‘Stones had committed too many men to the task of bringing down the big Bective prop leaving plenty of space out wide which Bective duly took advantage of for seven more points. Bective made it 22-0 on twenty two minutes when once again their pack, which has been dominant all season, flexed its considerable muscle and drove itself over the Greystones line. Greystones, shell-shocked after the Bective onslaught, fought to get back into the game. Bective conceded a penalty and Greystones kicked the ball to the corner deep in the Bective Twenty-Two. The lineout was gathered cleanly by ‘Stones and it looked like they had numbers out wide but great scrambling defence by Rangers denied Greystones a try. Bective conceded another Penalty and a quick tap by Greystones brought the ball inches from the line but Bective, as they have done all season when needed, turned the ball over and cleared the danger. On thirty eight minutes Bective scored their fourth try of the half after stealing the ball from Greystones in midfield. Rangers quickly launched an attack with a kick to Greystones territory. The ball was collected by the Bective number 8, Mike Essex, who offloaded to scrum half, Brad Allan who then set free the on rushing, Conor Harbison, for a try and a halftime score line of 29-0. Greystones, started brightly after the half and worked their way into the Ranger’s twenty-two. Bective committed a penalty and were reduced to fourteen men after a sin binning. The visitors took the penalty quickly and ran at Bective but turned the ball over. It would not be long however until Greystones made their one man advantage count as they ran in for a try to make it 29-7. If the first half saw some razor sharp finishing and strong patterns of play the second half was the polar opposite as it was played for large stretches by both teams without structure and with blunt finishing. Indeed it would not be till the sixty-fifth minute before a side scored again. Bective controlled the ball and regained their shape driving once again deep into Greystones territory. Bective hooker, Alex O’Sullivan, finished off the move with a lovely show and go inches from the line to make it 36-7 Greystones scored a consolation try on seventy two minutes after a scrum drove Bective back and Greystones moved the ball quickly out wide to leave the final score at Bective 36-Greystones 14. The players and management gave a fitting tribute to the late club President, Joe Nolan, with a comprehensive display that even saw early areas of concern such as the restart improve throughout the match.  Elva Murphy presents Alex Kelleher with the Kieran Murphy trophy |
