A LAST-MINUTE try by out-half Richie Murphy earned Greystones a thrilling 14- 13 victory over Bective Rangers and confounded Bective coach, Noel McQuilkin, who is due to take over at Dr Hickey Park next season.
McQuilkin will look forward to inheriting the kicking services of Murphy, who kept Greystones in the match by taking full advantage of three meagre penalty opportunities, while his Bective counterpart, Shane Buckley, missed with five attempts.
Buckley seemed to have redeemed himself when a dropped goal in the 79th minute put Bective 13-9 in front. However, Murphy immediately launched a long ball into the Bective 22 and, as Whelan and Ross hesitated, Greystones number eight, Alan Dignam, stole in before feeding the ball to Murphy, who scored in the corner.
In a mediocre first half, Murphy put Greystones in front after just two minutes with a penalty from 40 metres. He increased his side's lead with a simple kick from 20 metres.
Buckley was eventually successful at his fourth attempt, but with Bective, and Cusack in particular, dominating the lineouts, they did not deserve to be 6-3 down at the interval.
Kurt McQuilkin had the Greystones cover on full alert as he twice came close to scoring with damaging runs.
It was from a lineout, won by Cusack, that Bective went in front 11 minutes into the second half. Flanker Mark Ham ill broke through on the right before the ball was fed across the backs for Kurt McQuilkin to score between the posts. Buckley converted to put the visitors 10-6 in front.
Although a third Murphy penalty 10
minutes from time gave Greystones some hope, Buckley's dropped goal seemed to clinch it for Bective before the Greystones out-half completed his one-man show with that dramatic try.
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