Fr Mathew’s win cracker to reach first final

Fr Mathew’s of Cork will compete in their first ever U18 Men’s National cup final after overcoming Moycullen 63-45 in a terrific game at the Mardyke.

It was a tight opening half, but with Gary Pineda in superb form for the Cork side they went in at the break with a 27-22 lead.

As the game matured, Mathew’s found the crucial baskets with Pineda and Jack O’Mahony continuing to excel. In the final quarter Moycullen tried hard to get back in the game but the class of their Cork opponents proved to much for them.

For the Fr Mathew’s boss Ian Cotter hard work and lessons learned over the past 12 months proved the foundation for this win.

“It will be a great experience for the guys to get a chance to play in a national cup final at the National basketball arena and now it’s about getting the job done.”

St Vincent’s will play Fr Mathew’s in the decider following their thrilling 70-67 win over Kubs.

Kubs dominated for long periods but a late Saints rally saw them snatch a win at the death.

In a pulsating first half Kubs dominated proceedings and deservedly held a 38-31 cushion at the break. On the restart Kubs extended their lead to 12 points before the Saints rallied to take a lead in the 33rd minute.

It was nip and tuck coming down the stretch but seven late points from Shane Davidson eventually separated evenly matched teams.

For the Saints coach Emmet Donnelly the courage shown by his side didn’t surprise him.

“We consistently use 11 players in all games and that showed coming down the stretch when the game was on the line,” Donnelly said.

The Vincent’s boss praised the attitude of his team and is looking forward to the final against Fr Mathew’s.

“We are going into this final as raging underdogs but I am sure the guys will enjoy the experience of playing in a national cup final,” added Donnelly.

“We are up against it and now its up to us to find a way of beating a high quality Fr Mathew’s side.”