Carnaross made the trip to Cannistown to take on an unbeaten Bective side and after an impressive performance returned home with the points.

Carnaross 2-11 Bective 0-8

A League (Division 3)
Played in Bective – 25/5/2018

Bective entered the game in first place while Carnaross were in third and pushing for a top two position and a place in the final. The game was played in glorious conditions on one of the hottest days of the year so far.

The visitors got off to the best possible start when midfielder Dermot McGee found the back of the net after his long-range effort dropped short and deceived the keeper. McGee then followed this up with a point from play to leave his side 4 points to the good within a matter of minutes. It was clear that Carnaross were well up for the game from the off. Their tackling was aggressive but disciplined forcing several turnovers. In possession, their passing was precise and they made efficient use of their scoring chances. After McGee’s opening salvo, Carnaross followed up with three further points from Liam Brogan, Patrick McDermott and Niall McDonnell.

Bective got off the mark with a point from play but Carnaross maintained their onslaught. Livewire corner forward McDermott shot low to get his side’s second goal of the game, finishing off a team move which began with a turnover in the Carnaross half. McDermott then added another point followed shortly by a pair of points from the marauding wing back duo of Brogan and Sam Reynolds. Bective notched the final point of the half to leave Carnaross leading on a score line of 2-07 to 0-02 at the whistle.

Bective played with the breeze on their backs in the second period and came out with a much greater sense of urgency as they sought to find a way back into the game. Both sides picked off two points each to start the half, McDermott and substitute John L McGee chipping over for the visitors. Bective then entered a bit of a purple patch, scoring three points in a row including a pair of frees. Carnaross relied on the organisation and tight marking of their defence during this period, with sweeper Thomas Nugent assisting in breaking up several attacks. Kickouts were also vital in relieving pressure, with keeper Shane McNiffe finding wing forward McDonnell on numerous occasions.

The Carnaross lead, however, was never seriously threatened and they had the final say with a pair of points from Dermot McGee and Brogan, who was a thorn in Bective’s side throughout, leaving the full-time score at 2-11 to 0-08. This was an impressive team display from Carnaross with disciplined tackling, tireless work rate and scoring threat throughout the team. They will hope to carry on this form as they face into the final two games with a strong chance of gaining automatic promotion.

Carnaross: Shane McNiffe, Peter Carpenter, Peter Farrelly, Ian Donoghue, Sam Reynolds (0-1), Cian O’Reilly, Liam Brogan (0-3), Tomás Plunkett, Dermot McGee (1-2), Niall McDonnell (0-1), Charles Brogan, Killian Porter, Patrick McDermott (1-3), Thomas Nugent, Declan Reilly. Subs: John L McGee (0-1) for Declan Reilly, Cormac O’Reilly for Tomás Plunkett (black card), Stephen Flattery for Charles Brogan, John Brogan for Patrick McDermott