Con job as Bective sustain status
Bective....................................... 2-2-9 (19)
Drumbaragh ..............................1-1-4 (9)
There was little to choose between the teams for three quarter of this IFC relegation decider but when the game was there for the taking it was Bective, and Con Smith, who put their best foot forward to retain their status at Devenish Park, on Thursday evening, writes Sean Wall.
The Donal Curtis managed side led by five points entering the final quarter and that stretched to six, but just three points separated the sides’ on 54 minutes.
It was then the Navan parish side applied the after burners as they hit 1-4 without reply.
Both clubs had diced with the threat of relegation in recent years and it wasn’t difficult to understand why these teams were teetering on the brink during the opening passages.
There was just a single point in the opening quarter, a free converted by Drumbaragh’s Liam Ward. Midfielder Shea McManus doubled his side’s advantage on 19 minutes and a minute later Jake Madden finished a fine move to the net to leave the north Meath side leading 1-2 to 0-0.
That McManus point would have been a goal but for the brilliance of Bective 'keeper Scott O’Sullivan who deflected a well struck effort over the crossbar.
A couple of wides, a few efforts dropped short and a missed goal opportunity was all Bective had to show for their efforts until midfielder Adam Cully had them off the mark after 23 minutes. Cully then added a second point and as Bective came much more into contention Con Smith converted a free. Smith from play reduced the deficit to the minimum before a bizarre incident left Bective leading 0-6 to 1-2 at the break.
Drumbaragh had an advantage before being awarded a free for a second foul and an opportunity for Hughie Corcoran to double their lead. However, Corcoran after retrieving the ball kicked it back to where the original free was from and it was picked up by a Bective defender and they went on the counter-attack before winning a two-point free which Con Smith converted.
Smith extended the lead on the restart before Ward (free) and Adam Cully swapped points to leave it 0-8 to 1-3.
Then came a decisive score, a Bective goal finished to the net by substitute Mark O’Brien. Smith then stretched the lead out to six points but Ward kept Drumbaragh hopes alive with a single point and then a two-pointer, both from frees.
Drumbaragh failed to add to their tally after that and Smith hit a massive score for Bective, a two-point free on 57 minutes. Smith from a free and then play took his tally to 10 points before a wayward kick-out was punished when Cathal McConnell raced through and finished to the net in the sixth minute of added time.
Bective: Scott O’Sullivan; Cormac Gorman, Jack Grant, Neil Dowdall; Mark Dowdall, Harry Smith, James Donnelly; Matthew Cully, Adam Cully (0-3); Tristan O’Neill, Cathal McConnell (1-0), Joseph Mullen; Sean Manning, Con Smith (0-10 three frees, two two-point frees), Marty Mulhall. Subs – Luke Heneghan for M Cully 24m, Mark O’Brien (1-0) for Grant half-time, Sean Keating for Manning 62m.
Drumbaragh: Jamie Timmons; John Morrissey, Evan Demange, Joe Carry; Conor Lynch, Harry O’Higgins, Adam O’Brien; Tomas Doogan, Shea McManus (0-1); Darragh McNamara, Hughie Corcoran, Liam Ward (0-5 three frees, one two-point free); Jake Madden (1-0), William Carry, John D Smith. Subs – Paddy Murray for Smith 38m, Colm Carry for McNamara 50m, Colin Forde for Lynch 59m.
Referee – Robert Purfield (St Patrick’s).