With the All-Ireland League looming large on the horizon, Old Belvedere and Greystones had a huge incentive to perform well in the Smithwicks Old Belvedere Floodlit Cup semifinal at Anglesea Road last night.

This was the last competitive outing for both clubs before the beginning of the league and fringe players were given a final opportunity to dislodge the incumbents, or alternatively, fend off all challengers.

Under this microscope, it was the Greystones pack that responded the better. They restricted the effectiveness of Neil Francis at the line out, by varying their own throw in and pouring through onto to any slack ball on the Belvedere side.

Three Barry Murphy penalties had the home team 9-3 in front on the half hour. Mark Evans had landed Greystones solitary reply from a 45 yard penalty, until Mick Hanley provided the fulcrum to a maul that breached the Belvedere line on 34 minutes. A conversion by Evans made it 10-9 at half time.

On the turnover, sustained Greystones pressure forced another successful penalty from Evans. Murphy duplicated this in the 46th minute. Then, John Philpott's admirable double skip pass enabled full back Peter McKenna to put David Hernan over in the right corner.

Murphy failed to convert from the touch line. And it was Greystones who snatched victory when the pack rumbled through a Belvedere eight, powerless to prevent prop Liam Murphy's late try.