Tough one for Demons, but Price optimistic
Hopes of an all Kerry final remain following the draw, which pitted Killarney’s Gleneagle Lakers against Roma St. Vincent’s in the second semi.
Demons are one of only two teams to have beaten Tigers, the reigning SuperLeague champions, this season and their coach Pat Price realises the difficulty of the task.
Tigers mauled the leaders of the Northern Conference and favourites for the double this year, DART Killester, in Clontarf on Sunday, while Demons huffed and puffed before seeing off UCD at home.
“It is going to be pretty exciting,” Price admitted. “Tralee are going to be a tough team to beat and they will be familiar with us. They are a very well balanced team and the fact that they have some continuity from last year is standing to them this season.
“But things are going well for us right now,” he added. “We are in a winning run. Our players particularly our Irish players are playing very well and we have shown in all our recent games that once we get it together we are a pretty formidable side.
“People are saying we are a cup team - I would like to think otherwise.
“But if it is to our advantage to have people thinking along those lines then we will take it. Our Irish guys have all experienced it and they enjoy it and that will be to their advantage. Shane Coughlan goes into his fourth consecutive cup final weekend, Brian Clernon has won two cup medals with us and the likes of Tim O’Halloran and Niall O’Reilly are other veterans.”
Motivation will not be a problem for Gleneagle Lakers either, according to coach Mark Scannell, who accepted their draw with a good deal of caution.
“There is no easy draw at this point in the competition. Everyone is there on merit,” he insisted.
“But if I was asked what draw I wanted maybe this would be it. We are going into the final of the cup without a win in the SuperLeague. I would hope that we can build on the victory over Neptune, win a couple of games in the SuperLeague and get a bit of a run going before we go to Dublin.
“We played Vincent’s before and lost by eight points but both teams have changed personnel since then. The critical thing for us is our fitness. I think we are a very fit side right now. We worked very hard every day over the Christmas and that has stood to us.
“I think it is good for basketball in Kerry that we were not drawn against Tigers because we have played each other so often. Having said all that, there are four teams in the semi-finals and you are going to have to beat two of them if you want to win the cup.”
The two semi-finals of the men’s senior cup will be played on Saturday January 29 with the two senior finals, men’s and women’s on Sunday. Both junior finals will also be played over the weekend.
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