Scannell backs free-scoring Demons to clip Eagles’ wings

Mark Scannell has had some close-ups of UCC Demons during his first term as coach to Bord Gáis Neptune before tonight’s National Cup final against UL Eagles at the National Basketball Arena and he believes Demons are “hot favourites” to win.

“Their depth of talent is just frightening,” he reasoned. “The amount of players all contributing and all in the prime of their careers is unbelievable.

“Ok, Niall O’Reilly and Shane Coughlan are that bit older but they look after themselves so well that they are as competitive now as they ever were. On paper they look to be the raging hot favourites, like I said, a talent team right in their prime, but games are not won on paper.

“If it is a high-scoring game it will suit Demons because they have been averaging about 80 points a game while Limerick have been averaging 65/66 a game.

“Limerick need to play good defence and keep the score in the seventies. Games in the Arena are not high-scoring games — tough baskets, the big occasion, a bit of tension all combine to keep the score low and that is going to suit Limerick. I would see Demons having problems controlling the Limerick guard, particularly Rob Taylor and Scott Kinnevane.”

This will be the third game between the sides this season and while Demons have enjoyed the upper hand, coach Paul Kelleher, has a lot of respect for the Eagles.

“UL Eagles have a vast amount of experience and all but one of their first six players have years of experience of playing in the USA in college,” he said.

“Rob Lynch and Matt Hall are previous winners of cup medals, while Rob Taylor and Jason Killeen have European experience so this tells you the magnitude of the task that lies ahead.”

All eyes will be on Demons’ captain Shane Coughlan who etched his name into cup folklore with his last gasp winning throw in the 2004 final and he did it again in 2005 while he was also voted MVP.

In the women’s SuperLeague Cup decider (6.45pm), UL are the favourites but not only are DCU Mercy the defending champions, they are going for three in-a-row.

“We face a massive test against a UL side who haven’t experienced defeat in quite a while,” Mercy coach Mark Ingle said. “But it’s the cup so expect the unexpected.

“The three in-a-row is a nice prospect but not something you really think about. It’s a new cup, a new year and hopefully we can win it again.”

James Weldon has developed a winning mentality in his UL side but he won’t want it to come apart tonight.

“This is our biggest game of the season so far. We take great confidence from our unbeaten record but it’s not something that is playing on our minds ahead of this game.”

* See weekend fixtures in the Results section.