Marty Mulhall's pointed free in the last minute of extra time snatched a draw for Bective with Meath Hill in an exciting decider at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday. 

Bective .......... 2-15
Meath Hill ...... 1-18

Meath Hill looked set to collect the Cummins Cup when leading by two points midway through the second period of extra time. 

Team captain Sean Keating halved the deficit with his fourth point. Meath Hill spurned some chances to see the game out before Mulhall landed a free from about 40 metres into the town end. 

Mulhall was off target with a late ambitious attempt to secure league honours for the Navan-parish side. 

Backed by the breeze blowing towards the town end, Meath Hill were first to show pointing twice inside three minutes with Tomas Smith and Ryan Carry registering. 

Matters turned Bective's way in the fourth minute when Meath Hill seemed deserving of a free. Play transferred quickly to the hospital end where Cathal McConnell and Sean Keating created the opening for Mark O'Brien to net from close range, 1-0 to 0-2. 

Meath Hill regrouped and regained the lead, 0-5 to 1-1, by the mid-point of the half when Chris Yorke pointed a 45-metre free.

To their credit David Hosie's men responded well and moved five points clear by the 25th minute. The mainstay of this scoring burst was Marty Mulhall's goal with Keating and O'Brien in support. 

That left it 2-5 to 0-6 but proved to be Bective's final score of the half. Meath Hill recorded five wides to Bective's one in the opening 30 mintues. The men in royal blue jerseys posted two crucial scores in first half stoppage time. 

Thomas Rooney netted when getting on the end of a Keith Ginnitty delivery following a mark. In the third minute of added time goalkeeper Dominic Yorke pointed a 45-metre free.

That trimmed Bective's lead at the break to the minimum,2-5 to 1-7. Scores were tied twice before the north county side moved two points clear, 1-11 to 2-6, by the 46th minute. 

A Mulhall free tied matters for the fifth time, 1-11 to 2-8, in the 52nd minute. Soon Bective were two clear courtesy of Paul McCabe and Keating. Meath Hill responded with a trio of points, Jack McMahon (two) and Ian Malone. A Mulhall effort from play in the fifth minute of added time levelled matters for the sixth time, 2-11 to 1-14.

Meath Hill headed matters most of the way through the first-half of extra time. It took a McCabe (free) to leave it 2-13 to 1-16 after the first 10 minutes of extra time. 

Bective chased the game in the second-half of extra time and were rewarded with a replay. 

Bective - Greg Hogge; Craig Roche, Dermot Rogers, Jack Grant; Donagh Garvey, Jarlath Brennan, Colin O'Rourke; Kevin Brennan, Ciaran McConnell; Mark O'Brien (1-0), Marty Mulhall (1-5 4fs), Paul McCabe (0-5, 3fs); Paul Lyness (0-1), Cathal McConnell, Sean Keating (0-4). Subs - Ben Malone for McConnell (37), David Fitzpatrick for Garvey (bc 60 + 2), Michael Lyness for , James Davis for O'Brien (72)

Meath Hill - Dominic Yorke (0-2 fs); Simon Martin, Martin Tully, Conor Marry; Thomas Carolan, Kieran Slavin, Paddy Matthews; Chris Yorke (0-1 f), Keith Ginnitty (0-2); Ryan Carry (0-4, 3fs), Ian Malone (0-3), Pierce McGrath; Tomas Smith (0-2), Thomas Rooney (1-0), Jack McMahon (0-4, 1f). Subs - Barry Kieran for Martin (26), Donnchadh Boyle for C Yorke (51), Mark Tully for T Rooney (70), Sean Rooney for Matthews (80).

Referee - Liam Reddy (Duleek-Bellewstown)

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