Neptune axe Scannell

Mark Scannell expressed his surprise last night at his first sacking as a basketball coach after Neptune relieved him of his position as head coach following an inconsistent season in basketball’s Men’s Premier League.

Scannell, 47, one of the game’s most respected figures, led the Cork club to National Cup success in 2013 but has paid the price of a patchy campaign this season.

Neptune have lost four of their last five games, and suffered the disappointment of a cup semi-final defeat on their own court against Dublin Inter in January, a turning point in the campaign, he admitted last night.