BECTIVE DIG DEEP TO SEE OFF MIDLETON AND MAKE IT TWO WINS FROM THREE
10 October 2026, Energia Park Donnybrook - Round 3, AIL D2BS. A view from the sideline By OMAHD 🐕
BECTIVE RANGERS FC 15 – 07 Midleton RFC
After the disappointment of a narrow opening-round defeat to Old Crescent and the exhilarating 57–7 demolition of Bruff, Bective Rangers were brought back to the realities of All-Ireland League rugby on Saturday afternoon. Midleton arrived at Energia Park fresh from a comprehensive 58–0 victory over Buccaneers, and the East Cork side were clearly intent on making life considerably more difficult for the home team.
In the end, Bective emerged with a hard-earned 15–7 victory, their second win in three league outings. It was not quite the free-scoring spectacle of the previous weekend, but it was every bit as important in the context of a long and demanding AIL campaign.
Sometimes you have to win pretty. On other occasions, you simply have to win. Saturday was very much the latter.
Midleton strike first
With Midleton having run in the points against Buccaneers the previous week, Bective knew that defensive organisation and discipline would be crucial. The visitors began with purpose, looking to establish a foothold and put the home side under pressure.
The first breakthrough arrived in the 29th minute when Midleton’s JB Du Toit crossed for the opening try. Seamus Lyne added the conversion, leaving Bective with work to do as the visitors moved seven points clear.
For a side that had scored 57 points in Bruff, Bective were finding this a much more stubborn examination. Midleton defended with determination, and the Rangers had to be patient in their search for a way through.
The response finally came in first-half injury time. David Fitzgibbon kept his composure to land a penalty in the 41st minute, reducing the deficit and giving Bective a timely boost before the interval.
At half-time, the scoreboard read Bective Rangers 3–7 Midleton.
(Half-time: Bective Rangers FC 03 – 07 Midleton RFC)
There was little between the sides, but Bective needed to find another gear if they were to turn their territorial pressure into points.
Poole gets Bective moving
Whatever Coach Ben Manion said in the Bective huddle at half-time, the home side returned with renewed purpose.
Four minutes into the second half, the pressure paid off. Chris Poole crossed for Bective’s opening try of the afternoon, and Fitzgibbon added the conversion to put the Rangers in front for the first time.
From trailing 7–3, Bective had moved ahead 10–7, and the momentum had shifted.
The contest remained tight, however, with Midleton refusing to make life easy for their hosts. Every score mattered, every mistake carried a potential cost, and Bective needed to show the same patience and resilience that had characterised their fightback against Old Crescent on the opening weekend.
This time, there would be no need for a last-minute grandstand finish, but the Rangers still had work to do.
In the 63rd minute, Tiarnan McCluskey crossed for Bective’s second try of the afternoon. It was a crucial score, giving the home side some breathing space and stretching their advantage to eight points.
At 15–7, Bective had established a lead they would ultimately protect until the final whistle.
Defence seals the deal
With Midleton needing a converted try to get back on level terms, or a converted penalty kick for a bonus point, the closing stages demanded concentration and discipline from the Bective side.
The free-flowing attacking rugby of the previous weekend had given way to a more attritional contest, where territory, defensive organisation and game management would determine the outcome.
Bective had done enough in attack to put themselves in control, and now they had to finish the job.
The final whistle confirmed a 15–7 victory for the Rangers, bringing four valuable league points into the bag and ensuring that the home side could reflect on a job well done.
Three rounds, two wins and plenty to build on
The opening three rounds have already provided Bective supporters with a little of everything.
The narrow 36–33 defeat to Old Crescent showed the Rangers’ attacking ambition and their refusal to surrender, even when the odds were against them. The 57–7 win away to Bruff demonstrated the damage they can inflict when everything clicks.
Against Midleton, it was a different kind of performance — one built on patience, a second-half response and the ability to defend a lead when the pressure was on.
There will be plenty for the coaches to review, but the league table is ultimately shaped by results, and Bective now have two victories from their opening three fixtures.
The challenge in Division 2B South is to find consistency, and Saturday’s hard-earned points were another step in that direction.
It may not have been a 57-point extravaganza, but there is something equally satisfying about grinding out a win when the opposition refuse to roll over.
Bective Rangers are learning to win in different ways — and that could prove invaluable as the season unfolds.
Two wins from three. The Rangers are building momentum.
Next up, the Rangers hit the road again as they travel to Dubarry Park, Athlone, on Saturday, October 24, 2.30pm kick-off, where Buccaneers RFC await in Round 4.
There is a little history attached to this fixture. The last time Bective faced Buccaneers in the All-Ireland League was on 1 December 2007, when the Rangers went down by 24–17 in Division 2. Almost 19 years later, the two sides renew acquaintances, with Bective hoping to write a different ending this time around.
Buccaneers will arrive in confident mood after snatching a dramatic 26–24 victory over Thomond last Saturday, winning the game in the 84th minute, with the very last kick.
That late triumph will have given the Athlone side a considerable lift, and Bective can expect a determined home outfit eager to build on that result.
After the opening-day disappointment against Old Crescent, the emphatic response against Bruff and the gritty win over Midleton, the Rangers have shown they can win in different ways. The next challenge is to bring that same determination and discipline to Dubarry Park.
The Rangers are on the road again, and another tough AIL test awaits in Athlone.
Scorers: Bective Rangers: Tries — Chris Poole (49'), Tiarnan McCluskey (63') Cons: David Fitzgibbon (51') Pens: David Fitzgibbon (40 +1')
Midleton: Tries -JB DeToit (28'), Cons: Seamus Lyne (29')
BECTIVE RANGERS 1st XV:15. Chris Rolland, 14. James McKeown, 13. Alex Walsh, 12. Matthew Gilsenan, 11. Edward Kelly, 10. David Fitzgibbon, 9. Charlie Reilly; 1. Christopher Hennessy (capt), 2. Chris Poole, 3. Conor Kelly, 4. Andrew Treacy, 5. Gavin Kelly, 6. Evan Galvin, 7. Tiarnan McCloskey, 8. James Gallagher. Replacements: 16 Luke Mion, 17 James Hurley, 18 Donagh Lawlor, 19 Bobby Holand, 20 Tim Carroll. Referee: Cathal Roddy, CAR IRFU.
