Bective Rangers Book Return To Energia All-Ireland League Ranks

A five-try flurry inside the opening 25 minutes helped Bective Rangers to secure promotion back to the Energia All-Ireland League, as they overcame Thomond 39-34 in today’s play-off final at Cill Dara RFC.

ENERGIA ALL-IRELAND PROVINCIAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL:

Saturday, April 12 –

THOMOND 34 BECTIVE RANGERS 39, Cill Dara RFC
Scorers: Thomond: Tries: Jamie McGarry, Eoghain Sherlock, Jason Kiely, Jake Connolly; Cons: Jason Kiely 4; Pens: Jason Kiely 2
Bective Rangers: Tries: Connor Halpenny, Mattie Keane, Matthew Gilsenan, Tiarnan McCloskey, Shane O’Meara; Cons: Matthew Gilsenan 4; Cons: Matthew Gilsenan 2
HT: Thomond 17 Bective Rangers 33

In a game that swung wildly between domination and desperation, Bective’s fast start proved just enough to outlast a determined Thomond fight-back as they ended their seven-year absence from the All-Ireland League.

The opening minutes set the tone for an intense contest. Straight from the kick-off, Bective, this year’s Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup champions, kicked to touch and looked to assert themselves physically, but it was Thomond who got the scoreboard moving.

Following a spell of controlled phases, the Limerick club were awarded a penalty, and Jason Kiely slotted it over with confidence for a second-minute lead.

However, that advantage was short-lived. A yellow card for Bective’s Oliver Foote looked like it would hand momentum to Thomond, but it was the opposite. From the penalty that followed, Thomond kicked to the touch but fumbled possession from the ruck after a well-taken lineout.

Bective scrum half Connor Halpenny was alert to the opportunity, scooping up the loose ball and racing clear for the opening try. Although Matthew Gilsenan missed the conversion, Bective had edged ahead at 5-3.

Ben Manion’s men struck again in the 11th minute, with Gilsenan’s clever kick in behind forcing a lineout deep in Thomond territory.

The throw landed at the tail to Halpenny and Bective retained possession. After a couple of probing phases, it was Mattie Keane who powered over for their second try, which Gilsenan converted.

Rangers were now very much on top, and on the quarter hour mark, the increasingly-influential Halpenny carved through and linked with captain Tiarnan McCloskey, who drew the final defender before offloading to Gilsenan who touched down under the posts and converted.

The Leinster Junior League Division 1A champions were ruthless, and McCloskey soon got a try of his own, bursting clear as his side went back on the offensive straight from the restart.

Gilsenan again made no mistake from the tee, pushing the lead out to 26-3. Even back down to 14 men after Craig Cantwell was shown their second yellow card in the 20th minute, Bective’s dominance continued.

Another attacking lineout created space, and Shane O’Meara was the man to benefit, dotting down out wide. Gilsenan drilled the touchline conversion through the posts to make it 33-3 after just 25 minutes.

To their credit, Thomond never threw in the towel. They began to find space out wide and finally hit back through full-back Jamie McGarry, who finished smartly out on the left after a slick passing move. Kiely added the extras.

The Soda Cakes kept up the pressure and nearly broke through again, only for Bective to win a crucial penalty near their own line.

However, Thomond kept knocking on the door, and just before half-time, Eoghain Sherlock crossed the whitewash off sustained pressure. Kiely converted again, reducing the arrears to 33-17.

After a breathless first half, the second period began more cautiously, but Thomond, who impressively made it back-to-back Munster Junior League crowns this season, looked the livelier of the two teams.

Bective number 8 James Gallagher was sin-binned for repeated infringements in the 53rd minute, and Thomond managed to take advantage once more.

Busy centre Kiely scored a try in the right corner and showed great composure to knock over the conversion from the touchline, cutting the deficit to just nine points.

Crucially, Bective responded immediately from the restart, earning a penalty which Gilsenan calmly converted to extend the lead to 36-24.

This promotion decider entered a tense final quarter, with both sides battling fiercely for territory. Thomond looked to the wings and showed plenty of ambition, but Bective’s defence held firm.

With 74 minutes on the clock, the Dublin 4 club won a crucial turnover in the Thomond 22 and nearly crossed again, only to be held up.

Gilsenan missed a penalty shortly afterwards, that looked to be a let-off for Kevin O’Mahony’s charges, but another infringement a few minutes later gave him a more central opportunity, and he landed the kick to push the gap out to 39-24.

With time ticking down, Thomond threw everything into attack. A yellow card for Bective’s Tadhg O’Dwyer gave Thomond a numerical advantage during the closing stages, and they quickly added a penalty goal through Kiely.

In the dying moments, Thomond scored once more through a swift attack finished off by replacement Jake Connolly. Time was not on their side and the celebrations soon started for Bective, who will replace relegated Tullamore in Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 2C for 2025/26.

IRFU Committee member Joe McDermott (pictured below) was on hand to present the pennant for this season’s All-Ireland Provincial League Championship winners to Bective Rangers FC President John Bolger and try-scoring captain McCloskey.

Thomond, who last graced the All-Ireland League in 2019, will have a second shot at promotion in two weeks’ time. Omagh Academicals, the ninth place finishers in Division 2C, will host them in another crunch play-off tie on Saturday, April 26.

THOMOND: Jamie McGarry; Luke Costello, Josh Dillon, Jason Kiely, Cilian Moughty; Eoghain Sherlock, Evan Maher; Rian Burke, Colin Slater, Werner Kruger, Sean Malone, Sean Kelly, Riann O’Dwyer, Ryain O’Donovan Ahern, Kealan McMahon (capt).

Replacements: Kian McGrath, Sean Rice, Seaghan Gleeson, Jordan O’Donnell, Joe Costello, Morgan Bateman, Jake Connolly, Andrew Lyons.

BECTIVE RANGERS: Tim Carroll; Craig Cantwell, Bobby Holland, Matthew Gilsenan, Shane O’Meara; Oliver Foote, Connor Halpenny; Luke Mion, David Kealy, Conor Kelly, Gavin Kelly, Jamie Lawless, Mattie Keane, Tiarnan McCloskey (capt), James Gallagher.

Replacements: Colin Jackson, Billy O’Donohoe, Tom Dever, Tadhg O’Dwyer, Donagh Lawler, Ronan Cregan, Ben Garrett, Conor Murphy.