Bective 2-10, Drumbaragh 2-7.
Bective, with a number of new faces, produced a spectacular final five minutes to grab the two points over a shocked Drumbaragh in a beautifully appointed Kilmainham pitch on Friday night.
Drumbaragh looked in control for most of this game and played with composure and confidence. They took an early lead with a pointed free kick on 2 minutes and split the Bective defence for a cracking goal on 6 minutes. Bective’s Mark O’Brien won a good ball close to goal and turned well but seen his shot rebound off the bar on 7 minutes.
Marty Mulhall got Bective off the mark with a pointed free kick on 8 minutes and Drumbaragh responded with a point on 9 minutes. Midfielder Paul Lyness fired a fine point on 11 minutes but again a fast raiding Drumbaragh shot to the net on 13 minutes. Mulhall pointed a free kick and a point from play and Mark O’Brien also pointed but Drumbaragh added a pointed free kick and a further point from play to go into the break with 2 – 4 to Bective’s 5 points at half time.
After half time Drumbaragh took up where they left off and added a point from play, a pointed 45m and a further point to lead by 8 points after 8 minutes, and looked home and hosed. Bective also lost a player to two yellow cards and had a mountain to climb. Mulhall scored a fine point on 10 minutes and Sean Keating added a point on 15 minutes and the teams took their water break. Bective began to show a little more menace and O’Brien pointed from play.
Midfielder Ciaran Mc Connell, with quick interchanges, powered through the Drumbaragh defence but was dragged down for a Bective penalty on 26 minutes and Keating hit it well and the goalie could only parry to the net. Mulhall pointed after Cathal Mc Connell was fouled leaving Drumbaragh ahead by a single point. Again Lyness stepped up and split the posts with a long range effort on 33 minutes and the sides were level for the first time. But the drama was not over as Bective hunted for a final score and a long ball was secured by O’Brien who placed Keating to shoot to the Drumbaragh net and joy erupted in the Bective camp.
The referee, after a solid job, blew for full time and Bective rejoiced that their perseverance had pulled this one out of the fire.
Next up for Bective is Rathkenny but leaving it to the last minute will not be an option.
