BECTIVE, who looked likely candidates for promotion to Division One for so long, but then fell away over the final run in, scored a morale boosting victory over Blackrock in their Leinster Senior Cup quarter-final at Donnybrook on Saturday.

Blackrock centre David Lynagh opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a well struck penalty and although Ben Kealy replied with a penalty on 26 minutes, Lynagh put the visitors in front again with his second penalty on the half hour.

Lynagh completely miskicked his third penalty five minutes before half-time, but after Blackrock had regained possession from the restart Nicky Assaf made a great break up the right touchline to set up right wing Paul O'Brien for a try in the corner. Lynagh added an excellent conversion from the touchline and the visitors turned over leading by 13-3.

Bective grabbed the initiative early in the second half, Ben Kealy scoring after five minutes following some good work up the left touch-line by flanker Trevor Brennan.

Five minutes later Kealy landed a fine penalty from 10 metres inside the Blackrock half.

Des Jackson and Craig Whelan had come on at scrum-half and full-back respectively in the 46th minute and immediately made their presence felt. Whelan was hauled down as he raced for the line in the 51st minute, but Jackson broke from the resulting scrum and after his pack had gathered round, there was no, stopping the scrum-half. Kealy's conversion gave Bective an 18-13 lead and left Blackrock in disarray.

Lynagh cut the gap to two points with a penalty on 65 minutes, but Bective came right back at them and Kealy made no mistake from inside the 22 after the visitors had been penalised at a ruck.