A close encounter was expected in this Div 2 League match, with both sides needing to pick up points, between visitors Bective and St Michaels in Carlanstown’s fine pitch. Both sides were short key players and this gave others their chance to strut their stuff. Centre forward Mark O’Brien limped off after 5 minutes with a pulled hamstring and Michael Lyness came on for his first game in 6 months and contributed much from play. Bective were looking dangerous in attack but St Michaels pointed first on 6 minutes.
Bective’s Paul McCabe finished a fast, well worked move to the net on 7 minutes and Paul Lyness followed up with a point from play. St Michaels shot a fine point but Bective had learned from their first round encounter in the championship and seemed to be able to slow down the Michaels attacks and also make more space at the opposite end of the field where Sean Keating finished to the net after another fine move on 15 minutes. Bective, now at full throttle, had many assaults on goal but came away with claims for a penalty but with no additional scores. Michaels pulled back a point on 29 minutes but Cathal Mc Connell carried for 50 meters before slotting over a fine point on 30 minutes. St Michaels kept in the game with 3 fine points and Bective responded with a Paul McCabe point and a pointed free from Marty Mulhall. This left the score at half time with Bective 2-4, St Michaels 0-6.
Bective opened the scoring in the second half with a Mulhall pointed free and a second one on 4 minutes. St Michaels showed their mettle and scored 3 points in a row to reduce the margin to 3 points. Dara Maguire created an overlap and fired over a great point from a difficult angle and restored Bective’s rythm. But again St Michaels responded with a point and should have had more if it wasn’t for some hasty shooting resulting in a number of wides. Points were traded and St Michaels closed to gap to 2 points. The game was in the melting pot and Bective, with all out effort through-out the field, dug out a few turnovers and won dirty balls around the middle third with Cathal Mc Connell and Sean Keating to the fore. St Michaels kept up the pressure in this exciting, tactical game and added 2 more points but Mulhall converted 3 more frees to conclude the match with Bective 2-11, St Michaels 0-13. This was a strong workmanlike performance from Bective with all contributing to a fine win against capable opposition.
Bective: Jar Brennan, Mark Usher, Donagh Garvey, Dara Maguire, Colm Barry, Craig Roche, Colin O’Rourke, Ciaran Mc Connell, Paul Lyness, Cathal Mc Connell, Mark O’Brien, Jack Clarke, Sean Keating, Mark Mulhall, Paul McCabe. Subs Michael Lyness, Marc Dowdall, Ciaran Casey.
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