Bective 4-9, Blackhall 2-10

Bective travelled to Dunsany for this third round Intermediate championship match versus Blackhall Gaels on Sunday at 1.00 p.m. The pitch looked superb and all was set for this contest between two evenly matched teams and each with aspirations to qualify for the knock-out stages. Blackhall playing towards the pavilion opened the scoring with a fine point on 5 minutes. Bective, with a number of positional changes, moved the ball at speed and midfielder Mathew Cully found Cathal Mc Connell with a fine mark just outside the D and Mc Connell converted on 6 minutes. Mc Connell after a 40m run blasted low and left but the Blackhall goalie was up to it and cleared the danger. Con Smith mopped up a spilled ball in the mid field area and found Mc Connell who was pulled down and Marty Mulhall pointed the free kick on 8 minutes. Blackhall kicked wide but made amends with a pointed free kick from 40m on 12 minutes. Bective efficiently managed the ball out to the waiting Sean Keating and he delivered a long ball along the side line to Mc Connell who took on his man to point on 14 minutes. A succession of quick passes supplied Keating and he pointed on 15 minutes. Both sides defended well and Blackhall, raiding down the left flank, pointed again on 18 minutes. Bective defenders were on high alert and intensity and closed down shooting angles and Blackhall missed a couple of point chances. Keating made himself available to ease the pressure on the backs and passed to Mc Connell who raced at the Blackhall defence and fisted forward to Tristan O’Neill who blasted to the top corner of the net on 23 minutes. Bective had to withstand a further Blackhall attack but Bective goalie Scott O’Sullivan made a fine save. Bective had to scramble the ball clear of defence and an early ball found Mc Connell outside the 45m line. He rounded his man and sped towards goal and as he was been closed down fired low and left to the back of the net on 25 minutes. Colin O’Rourke made a similar 50m run moments later but was dispossessed as he was about to pull the trigger. Fine defending from Jack Grant snuffed out a dangerous Blackhall attack and the ball was managed forward to Con Smith to kick over from 30m. Craig Roche pointed from 35m for the last score of the first half.

Bective 2 – 6, Blackhall 0 – 4.

Bective knew their backs had avoided a higher score from Blackhall and needed to keep up the intensity. A turnover in the mid field was pounced on by Declan McGuinness and he passed forward to Sean Keating who palmed to Mc Connell to drive at goal and he finished to the net with the left boot on 1 minute. Blackhall replied with a pointed free on 2 minutes and added a point from play on 4 minutes. A 45 hit the left upright and Blackhall shot the rebound to the net on 5 minutes, and added another pointed free on 7 minutes. Ciaran Mc Connell came on for Bective. High fielding Mathew Cully called his mark and punted forward to Cathal Mc Connell who raced at goal and squared for Keating to palm to the net on 11 minutes. Bective held possession for long spells but Blackhall kept in the game and pointed a free kick on 17 minutes. Bective replied with a point from play from Mulhall on 19 minutes. Paul McCabe came into the forward line and pointed a free kick on 23 minutes after Cully was dragged back. Brian Cantwell came into the forward line. Blackhall pointed on 26 minutes and converted a penalty on 30 minutes but McCabe finished off the scoring with a fine point on 33 minutes. This was a fine workman like performance from Bective and with a bye in the next round they await their final match against group favourites Dunshaughlin in early September. 

Bective: Scott O’Sullivan, Ben Malone, Jack Grant, Neil Dowdall, Donagh Garvey, Craig Roche, Colin O’Rourke, Mark O’Brien, Mathew Cully, Cathal Mc Connell, Declan McGuinness, Tristan O’Neill, Marty Mulhall, Sean Keating and Con Smith.

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