Neptune gear-up for crucial weekend
Both sides are guaranteed a place in the play-offs but this weekend’s games will determine who will fill the second position in the Southern Conference and get home advantage.
Neptune face a double header against UCD/Marian and Moycullen at Neptune Stadium while UCC Demons face a tricky assignment away to Belfast Star who beat the Southern Conference winners, UL Eagles, last weekend.
Two wins for Neptune will guarantee them second place but their coach, Pat Price, is not expecting an easy passage.
“With two games in less than 24 hours, we need all hands on deck to see off our final league challengers,” Price said. “As we saw last weekend, any team is capable of turning over any other in this league.
“We need to play with a sense of urgency in the UCD Marian game that underscores our drive to land a home quarter-final. Marian are a talented shooting team if given space, so our pressure defence will have to be first rate.
“Moycullen have shown a new look in the last two games with Puff Summers now at the point. He and Cian Nihill are now a formidable backcourt and our guards will have a serious challenge at hand.
“Michael McGinn’s leadership and improved play were a great boost last weekend and his energy levels have been contagious within the squad.”
UCC Demons face a Belfast Star side already assured of their play-off spot after comfortably earning second place in the Northern Conference.
“In defence we must contain Stars’ Kevin Ratzsch and Scott Summersgill as they are Stars’ main scoring threat at present,” Demons coach Luke D’Alessio said. “We will have to defend against their three-point shooting and cannot let them get easy transition baskets.”
Ulster Elks will be looking to end their campaign in a positive fashion after missing the chance to reach the play-offs last weekend.
Hoops make the trip to Belfast tomorrow with the aim of avoiding the tag of the Southern Conference’s basement boys.
For their part, Elks have worries over the availability of Paul Cummins (back injury) and Matt McColgan (family commitment).
On Sunday, the meeting of Killester and UL Eagles will give fans in the capital the opportunity to watch the clash of the Northern and Southern Conference champions.
Killester have enjoyed a perfect record against UL this season with wins over Tony Hehir’s side in both league and cup.
“Killester have won the Northern Conference and are playing their last regular game at home,” coach Hehir, said.
“They will want to win it and it will be a very big challenge for us to get a win in Dublin. I expect a really tough game and we want to use it as part of getting ready for the league semi-finals.”
In the IrishSport.TV Women’s SuperLeague, Team Montenotte Hotel Cork can wrap up the regular season crown at home to UL but it won’t be easy.
UL’s unbeaten run ended at home to the new cup champions, DCU Mercy, in their last outing with April Cahalane’s 23-point haul unable to save then from a 78-70 defeat.
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