SINCE the inception of the Smithwick's Old Belvedere Floodlit, Cup in 1987 only two players had transgressed the rules of the code sufficiently to be ordered from the field of play. Last night that number was doubled at Anglesea Road.

In a bad tempered first half, the nasty undercurrent that simmered eventually boiled over in the 39th minute, with the result that Bective's Trevor Brennan and Blackrock's former All Black Mike Brewer were banished to the touchline.

The dismissals were for "punching", according to referee Wayne Sheridan. Both sides were left one short in the back row. Thereafter the entertainment value rose for the good crowd that braved the numbing cold.

Aidan Guinan's converted try in the 30th minute a product of a persistent run from wing partner Paul O'Brien separated the teams as Blackrock held a 10-3 advantage at the break. Before then, Blackrock's John McGowan and Bective's Shane Buckley had swapped penalties.

In the second half, a Buckley penalty failed to camouflage Blackrock's sharper movements in attack. And it was hill back Brian Carey that picked his way through several feeble tackles to cross in the right corner in the 66th minute. Scrum half Nick Assaf then turned the Bective defence inside out with a searing diagonal run that took him outside a beleaguered back line.

A Des Jackson inspired penalty try was never going to be enough to generate a revival, and Rock had the last say when O'Brien waltzed over in injury time for McGowan to convert from the right touchline.