v Bective Rangers
(09 Nov 2008)
UCD 12 - 14 Bective
In what was a horrid and quickly deteriorating day, conditions wise, the weather was always going to play a lead role in the latest UCD J1 Drama.
Unfortunately for UCD, it was more of a victim than a hero’s role, as they struggled to get into a game that they really needed to win to realise any title ambitions.
The game plan’s for both sides were certainly not put to use in a disjointed and lacklustre first twenty minutes, in which both sides were guilty of kicking away too much possession and failing to set a platform for their side.
Bective were first to break the scoring with a penalty from 30m out to the right hand side of the posts with the out half slotting over, it was to set the tone for most of the match.
In what was possibly the first actual succession of ball retention the white line was finally crossed unfortunately it was Bective who accumulated the first 5-pointer.
The try came from a several phases of forward play, followed by a quick backs-move down the blindside and finished off well by the winger in the corner. The extra’s were missed, and left the scores 8-0 to Bective with 30mins gone.
UCD got their first chance in the shape of a penalty from 35m out, which Simon Gillespie slotted cleanly through the posts. Whilst encouraged by this UCD still failed to keep the ball, and needlessly gave away too much possession through missed line-outs and a litany of error’s not normally associated with Collidge. Much of this, it must be said, must go down to the harsh conditions the game was played in, with a swirling wind and intermittent rain, upmost concentration was needed just to stay in the game.
The second-half began a lot brighter for UCD, where they began to really set their mark on the game, with Cowie and Allwright linking up well in the 10-12 channel. Rory allwright a tooth lighter put his smile on the line for Collidge, but the only breakthrough to be found was in the gums. The wingers of Joe McGinley and Mark Buckley were made to work for any ball they received most of which was from wayward Bective kicking, and lacked any decent go-forward ball for long patches in the game, Wilko’s prodigy made to wait another game for his debut season try.
Stephen O Dwyer, Ger Moran and James Hayes worked hard in providing a platform, but even Moran after the excitement of the weeks before couldn’t find the magic feet to cross the Bective whitewash.
The Forwards led by captain Ger O’Rourke and Connor Mitchell, really began to take more initiative in the loose, which produced the next scoring opportunity for UCD in the form of another penalty. It had to be said that the boot was always going to be the most likely source of points where free-flowing rugby was to be kept to a minimum. With ten minutes left UCD finally took the lead 9-8 from yet another Simon Gillespie penalty and for the first time they probably deserved it. UCD needed to keep territory for the last 1/8th of the game, but several attempts to do so failed to materialise, and what was always a constantly tight game lying in the balance, meant that all spectators were set for a grandstand finish.
In what was a cruel sting in the tail, Bective were awarded a contentious penalty, when all but the referee believed the ensuing advantage to have expired, but it was not to be, and the 10 kept a level head and won the game for Bective in literally the last kick of the game, and Bective’s only second-half score.
Best for UCD were Simon Gillespie who scored 4/4 kicks in horrid conditions and tight angles, in the pack credit must go to Colm and “hutch” who came up from the J2’s and played heartily throughout, and were more than admirable in their endeavours.
Carlow at home this Sunday is now proving to be a must-win before Trinity the following weekend, and all supporters and their families are encouraged to cheer the team on this Sunday and especially next.