McGinn set to miss derby battle

MICHAEL McGINN went over on his ankle in practice on Wednesday night, leaving new coach Pat Price facing the possibility of sending out National Event Hire/Neptune, without their captain for tonight’s crucial derby game against UCC Demons at The Mardyke Arena (8 pm).

“He’s on physio but it’s highly unlikely he will make it,” Price admitted. “It is going to be a game-time decision. Let’s face it, Mike would be a huge loss. He gives us great leadership and has settled well into our system. He is a very experienced player and his experience will be a loss.”

Neptune are still looking for their first win in the Nivea for Men SuperLeague, going into one of their biggest games of the season.

“With guys understanding the rules I am pretty confident people will step up,” he said. “Particularly in a derby game – new faces and new names emerge through those games alone. OK, it’s a tough loss but Mike understands the story and we are focused on what we have and not on what we don’t have.”

Price will be in a somewhat unusual if not surreal situation as he faces the team he once took to new heights and now he wants to do the same for their arch rivals.

“The guys have been great to deal with in terms of buying into new ideas,” he said. “Trying to explain doing it differently does not mean you were doing it wrong all along. It’s maybe about establishing new habits and breaking some bad habits. With all due respect to those in the past – you don’t roll out to sea for seven years and then expect get back overnight.”

Derby games are always special, but there is something extra special about a Cork derby with Demons, defending all the silverware this year.

Demons’ new coach, Luke D’Alessio, will savour the atmosphere generated by one of the fiercest rivalries in Irish basketball for the first time.

“The game against Neptune will personify what basketball in Ireland is all about – an intense rivalry in a great venue with proud fans,” he said. “We as a team must strengthen our defence and limit our turnovers from the outset if we are to improve on last weekend’s performance.

“We will be ready for Neptune’s multiple defensive styles and we will bring our best game to the court.”

Elsewhere this weekend, a full-strength Killester will not be taking winless Ulster Elks for granted while new sensations, Belfast Star, enter Sunday’s clash with Moycullen on the back of three successive victories.

“It will be good to see Moycullen coach Enda Byrt again,” said coach Danny Fulton. “Enda helped me with both the junior and senior men’s teams in the 1980s before he became head coach of the senior side himself.

“Moycullen have been running an excellent programme for years and I believe they will be vying for honours in the next few years. We have to treat them with the utmost respect, especially when we see Puff Summers on their roster – he caused us a lot of problems two years ago when he was with Ballina.”

Moycullen continue their search for their first win but will have to do so without Garnett Griffin, who remains absent after sustaining an injury in pre-season.

DCU Saints stunned the Elks last weekend and will be looking to pile further woe on Hoops – another side searching for their first win of the season.

Hoops will be without Eoin Chubb, who is expected to be out for a lengthy period due to a foot injury.