ST MARY'S COLLEGE, Leinster Senior League finalists next Sunday and with their resources stretched by representative calls,, tested the depth of their squad last night but were unable to match Bective Rangers in the Smithwick's Old Belvedere Floodlit Cup at Anglesea Road.

Bective's greater experience and superior strength gave them a pronounced advantage. Those attributes, combined with a fine degree of opportunism, saw Bective win comprehensively. Bective, semi-finalists three years ago, will now meet Blackrock College.

St Mary's did well in the first half and trailed by only three points at the interval, 6-3. Indeed, had St Mary's out-half Fergal Campion, returning after injury, been on form with his kicking - he managed only one successful kick from six attempts - St Mary's might have led at the break.

In contrast, Bective out-half Shane Buckley, who kicked two first-half penalties to give his side the half-time lead, was on target with five kicks from six attempts, three penalties and two conversions.

The Bective pack got well on top in the second half, with Trevor Brennan outstanding, although he was severely admonished by referee Donal Courtney for one very intemperate act. After Buckley and Gareth Halpin exchanged penalties early in the second half, Brennan got a try which Buckley converted.

Gary Purcell, a replacement for Andy Johnson, scored a Bective break-out try in the left corner. Buckley missed the difficult conversion, his only lapse of the night, but he added the conversion points when another replacement, Craig Whelan, created and scored a fine opportunist try a few minutes from the end.