3rds Overcome Bective in Physical Encounter
O’Connell Cup – Old Wesley 21 Bective 15 , by Jack Byrne
(Sat 20th Feb) Ali v Fraser, Barca v Real, Gandalf v Sauron, Wesley 3rds v Bective 2nds. All great encounters, one better than the next. On a blustery day in Donnybrook, two bitter rivals went to war. Bective, the bookies favourite currently sitting second in their division, looked to empose their physicality early on, like my office bully, Greg, who always steals my lunch, the gorilla.
The two heavyweights traded jabs early, and after 10 minutes it was Bective 5, Wesley 3. Wesley were dealt an early blow, when ‘Glass Ankles’ O’Meara left the field of play with a broken ankle. A real shame, as Mulcie looked to be controlling the game early. We wish him a speedy recovery. This setback may have shook a lesser team, but Wesley pushed on and with some sustained pressure, Slugger McDonald slimed over the line with a muscling run from five yards out. From here, Wesley could smell blood. On the stroke of half time, ‘The General’ Kenny put in a deft chip to the corner, and with one of the luckiest bounces ever seen in the history of bounces, ‘Hightower’ Fitzgibbon gazelled over the line. It really was Fitzgibbons lucky day, and night, as chance would have it. Wesley lead at the break, 16 – 5.
Wesley started the second half with the same intencity as they finished the first. Westey scooped up a loose ball, and running like a man possessed, barreled over the line for a real solo effort. At 21 – 5, Wesley battoned down the hatches with particularly impressive defensive displays from Paddy and Mike. Bective kept knocking on the door, and like a persistent Roscommon man wearing a Gaelic jersey at half 5 in Coppers, eventually breached the defence. This epic encounter ended 21 – 15. Old Wesley now meet the winners of Lansdowne and Stillorgan in the semi-final
Wesley hope to keep their winning streak going with an away clash against Skerries next Friday.