League silverware for Bective boys
November 27, 2011It would have ranked as a serious injustice if Bective had failed to claim any silverware this year and that league triumph was a fitting reward for so much hard work which, with a bit of luck at all, might well have resulted in the great adventure that the business end of a championship can be.
When the Bective players survey their results in the group stages of the championship they must wonder how they didn't advance, but draws in their first three matches proved damaging and the back to back victories which followed just weren't sufficient to maintain their interest in the battle for the Matthew Ginnity Cup.
One of those draws came in the first round against Navan O'Mahonys and it was the Brews Hill side which eventually edged them out of a qualification place on score difference. It was hugely disappointing, but all concerned deserve enormous credit for the manner in which they regrouped and contested two finals.
Former Walterstown and Meath player Ian Kearney was the Bective manager again this year, assisted by selectors Sean Reilly, Martin Cahill and Charlie Dowdall, and they were drawn in group A of the JFC along with O'Mahonys, Drumconrath, Kilmainhamwood, Skryne and Moylagh.
They shaped well ahead of the start of the championship by winning three league games against Longwood (home), Clonard (away) and St Brigid's (home), but the winning habit wasn't maintained as draws soon became the norm, starting with that meeting against an O'Mahonys team which later reached the final where they lost to Ballivor.
O'Mahonys appeared to be well on the road to making a winning start when they led by 0-8 to 0-2 at the interval at Castletown, but Bective regained their composure and battled back to earn a share of the points as it finished 1-8 each. It wasn't a great start, but it wasn't a bad one either.
Nobber provided the setting for a second round meeting with Kilmainhamwood and this time Bective were deprived of victory when Stephen Kiernan equalised for the former senior kingpins seven minutes into injury time. This was a hugely entertaining contest which the 'Wood led by a point at the interval and by three at the end of normal time.
Bective battled back courageously and when Ruairi Russell scrambled home a goal they were in front for the first time. However, Kilmainhamwood had the last say when Kiernan slotted over the equaliser to tie the scores at 0-12 to 1-9.and leave Bective frustrated.
They had a bye in the third round, but yet another draw followed next time out against Moylagh at Athboy. The team from the north-west of the county started best, but a string of points enabled Bective to push ahead, before the concession of a goal late in the opening period meant they trailed by 0-7 to 1-5 at the break.
Moylagh stretched their advantage after the restart, but Bective appeared to have taken control when they reeled off five successive points. It just wasn't enough as Dessie Hamilton's team rallied and eventually secured a share of the spoils with an equalising point deep into injury time. It finished 0-12 to 1-9.
Bective needed a victory in their quest for a knockout ticket and they got it at Dunsany where they shaded the verdict against Skryne, winning by 1-9 to 2-5. An easy victory looked to be on the cards when they led by 1-7 to 0-1 at the interval after Brian Cantwell had goaled, but Skryne netted twice in the second period to reduce the deficit to the minimum.
When Kevin Reilly scored a point they were on level terms and the unthinkable was about to happen to Bective again - another draw. But Marty Mulhall ruled that out when he slotted over a late free to snatch victory. It meant that going into the last round Moylagh were on top of the section with seven points, followed by Kilmainhamwood, O'Mahonys and Bective on five.
However, worryingly for Bective their score difference of plus one point was inferior to those of Kilmainhamwood (plus 11) and O'Mahonys (plus seven) and it was clear that they would have to produce a huge tally against basement team Drumconrath if they were to have any chance of making further progress.
They did just that when winning by 6-9 to 0-8 at Kilberry, but with O'Mahonys defeating Skryne by 16 points the town side advances thanks to a score difference which was three points better than Bective's. To say it was disappointing was an under-statement in the extreme.
Bective had 19 points to spare over Drumconrath at the end, but such an outcome appeared highly unlikely when they led by only 1-4 to 0-5 at half-time. However, with Mulhall bringing his personal tally to a hugely impressive 4-6 it was all one-way traffic in the second period.
It was calculators at the ready after that, but when news filtered through about O'Mahonys' clearcut victory over Skryne - who Bective had beaten by only a point - the news was bad. The Navan men squeezed through in second place behind group winners Moylagh.
Thankfully, Bective still had plenty to play for and soon got over that great disappointment. They maintained a superb unbeaten run when edging out hosts Kilmainhamwood by 0-16 to 1-12 after extra time in a Tailteann Cup semi-final which provided plenty of entertainment.
Bective led by 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval in normal time, but found themselves behind when the 'Wood goaled five minutes into the second half. They battled back to be level (0-11 to 1-8) at the end of an hour, before the hosts moved to the front midway through the additional 20 minutes. With legs starting to tire it was Bective who found most in the second period and points from Mulhall (two) and substitute Brian Kearns helped them to a final place.
The decider against Kilmainham took place under lights at Pairc Tailteann, but ended in disappointment for Bective when they were edged out on a 0-7 to 0-6 score line. Michael Newman scored all their points as Kilmainham opened up a 0-5 to 0-2 interval lead, with Mulhall's two frees keeping Bective in contention.
Bective demonstrated tremendous urgency on the restart and drew level by the three-quarter stage with points from Brian Cantwell, Mulhall and Paul Lyness. They were playing well and when Mulhall put them ahead for the first time they looked like winners. Danny Butler equalised with a rare Kilmainham attack and with both sides searching for a winner it was Newman who got it from a free.
Bective gave it one mighty effort, but came up just short against one of the best teams in the junior grade.
The Bective team in the final was: S Breslin; B Malone, G Brennan, C Barry; J Brennan, C McConnell, C Roche; C Reilly, M O'Brien; P O'Brien, B Cantwell (0-1), K Brennan; M Mulhall (0-4), R Russell, P Lyness (0-1). Subs - J Davis, B Kearns, J Grant.
Like their championship exit, that final defeat hurt, but again Bective responded in a fashion which augurs well for their future. A hugely consistent A League Division 4 campaign earned them promotion and a final place against a Ballivor team which had won the JFC in style.
Ballivor probably had one eye on a tilt at the Leinster Club Championship and were without injured cousins Mairtin and Derek Doran, but that shouldn't detract from a great end to the campaign for Bective who demonstrated tremendous resilience after previous disappointments.
Their record in the league was hugely consistent. From 12 divisional games they won 10 and drew one, their only 'loss' coming as a result of a walk over conceded to Ballivor, the team they later defeated in the decider.
The final took place at Dunsany and, typical of Bective this year, it was a very close encounter which they shaded by 0-13 to 1-9. Paul McCabe opened the scoring with a point for Bective, but Ballivor led by two points late in the first half, before Mulhall cut the deficit to the minimum (0-4 to 0-5) at the interval.
The same player had Bective on level terms on the restart and they proceeded to take control for a 10 minute spell as points from Ciaran McConnell, Jack Grant and Mulhall opened up a 0-8 to 0-5 lead. Ballivor cut the gap to the minimum, but they then suffered a blow when Sean Heavey was sent off.
McCabe pointed to leave Bective two clear, but substitute Calvin Ryan marked his arrival on the field by scoring a goal which gave Ballivor a 1-8 to 0-10 advantage. It remained close to the finish, but a levelling point from Mulhall was followed by a brace from substitute Brian Kearns which secured a memorable victory.
Mulhall was Bective's top scorer with five points, McCabe and Kearns got two each and there was one apiece for McConnell, Cantwell, Grant and substitute Ruairi Russell.
It was a proud and happy moment for Bective captain Ben Malone when he received the cup from Francis Flynn, representing the County Committee, and competition sponsor Joe Cassells.
The Bective team in the final was: S Breslin; B Malone, G Brennan, C Barry; J Brennan, C McConnell (0-1), C Roche; C Reilly, M O'Brien; P McCabe (0-2), B Cantwell (0-1), J Davis; P Lyness, J Grant (0-1), M Mulhall (0-5). Subs - R Russell (0-1), B Gaffney, B Kearns (0-2).
"It was a huge disappointment not to reach the knockout stages of the championship," said Ian Kearney as he looked back on the campaign. "But I suppose we had only ourselves to blame. We drew our first three games against O'Mahonys, Kilmainhamwood and Moylagh, but in reality we could have lost the three of them.
"We beat Skryne by only a point in our fourth match. It was a bad, wet day in Dunsany and we gave away a couple of sloppy goals. Winning that one so narrowly really cost us big time. Other teams beat Skryne easily, including O'Mahonys. We beat Drumconrath by 19 points in the last game, but it wasn't enough. That's football.
"I suppose a bit of inexperience came into play. We would get on top in games and not score enough to finish the job. We probably lacked a certain killer instinct, but that comes with experience."
More disappointment followed when Bective lost the Tailteann Cup final to Kilmainham.
"That was a big occasion for everybody, a final under lights at Pairc Tailteann," Kearney added. "Losing was another big disappointment. We were disappointed with the way we played. Kevin Brennan broke his leg. That was a big blow.
"The lads kept training after that. We knew we were in the league final. They kept going. We wanted to win something, to end the year on a high. Ballivor were short a few players, but the lads put in a good performance. They deserved it."
Kearney is very hopeful as he looks to Bective'e future, especially with so many good young players being produced.
"Bective have a very nice bunch of players, very committed lads," he said. "I was also with them last year when we had 16 or 17. This year we had 23 or 24. There are plenty of talented young players, like Ben Malone, Marty Mulhall, Ciaran McConnell, Mark O'Brien and Paul McCabe.
"There's a good mix of experienced lads too. Shane Breslin was back this year and was a huge addition to us. We also have Ruairi Russell and Brian Cantwell among the more experienced players. They all worked very hard this year and will need to do the same next year."
Dramatic B league final victory
A late point from substitute Paul Lyness earned Bective a dramatic victory over Donaghmore/Ashbourne in the B FL Division 5 final which was played in cold, wet and windy conditions at Skryne.
Bective made a slow start and found themselves trailing at the interval after they had missed scoring opportunities. They levelled early in the second half and with the teams trading point for point they snatched a memorable win.
Team captain Jarlath Brennan made a brilliant block and that resulted in an attack which saw Lyness snatching victory and the title.
The Bective team in the final was: R Cahill; B Hogge, J Grant, D Killion; S Barry, J Brennan, K Brennan; K McConnell, K O'Brien; J Davis, A McCabe, B Kearns; P McCabe, A Shine. Sub - P Lyness. Tweet
