Basketball: Cup quarter-finals take place this weekend

It's make or break this weekend as the Cup battle for a final four spot hots up.

The ESB Men's League takes a back-seat this weekend to make way for the excitement and pressure of cup action - by Sunday night only four teams will remain to battle it out in the ESB Cup finals weekend in January.

In the ESB Women's Senior Cup - the only all ESB League clash is between Dart Killester and Sasha Meteors next Tuesday. Division One title-holders Drimnagh Dynamoes will be giving Tolka Rovers a run for their money, while Firhouse Notre Dame will be travelling to University of Limerick. Firhouse defeated Glanmire for their place in the quarterfinals.

Esat Business Demons are at home to Dart Killester this weekend for Superleague action. Shane Coughlan will not play with Demons this weekend as a result of his 11 game suspension handed down by the NCC. The decision was a result of an incident between Coughlan and a referee.

ESB Senior Men's Cup

Frosties Tigers Tralee v Neptune

Venue: Tralee SC Date: Saturday Dec 8 Time: 8pm

Tralee travelled to Neptune for a league clash on November 7 and were defeated 87-72. The Tigers have not been defeated on home soil for more than 12 months: the last team to come out of Tralee victorious was Neptune.

Abbey Foods Sligo v Waterford Crystal

Venue: Sligo SC Date: Saturday Dec 8 Time: 7.30pm

Sligo's early success in the league came to a halt when Greg Burston broke his arm five weeks ago. Since his absence, Sligo have lost four from five games. This weekend the club hopes to have Burston back on court at which point Chad Holmes will return as coach. Sligo lost at home to Waterford, 58-67 on the November 10 but Waterford Coach Michael Evans will not be taking anything for granted.

Burgerking Limerick v St Vincent's

Venue: UL Date: Saturday Dec 8 Time: 8pm

St Vincent's are still pining after their close Cup victory two years ago, when Big Al's snatched victory on the buzzer. They haven't won the title since 1994 and are down a few crucial players ahead of the weekend. Burgerking Limerick were knocked out of the Cup in last year's quarter

finals and coach Tom Hehir won't be making the same mistakes twice.

Sx3 Star v Tolka Rovers

Venue: UU, Jordanstown Date: Sunday Dec 9 Time: 2.30pm

When Star and Tolka met in Maysfield for a league game on November 11, Tolka Rovers came out on the right side of the 58-67 score line. Star have a poor league record this season with a mere two wins and seven losses. Tolka Rovers have been inconsistent this season, but when in form they have demonstrated that they can beat any team in the league.

ESB Senior Men's Cup

Date Venue Time Home Away

8 Dec Tralee SC 20.00 Frosties Tigers v Neptune

8 Dec Sligo SC 19.30 Abbey Foods Sligo v Waterford Crystal

8 Dec UL 20.00 BurgerKing Limerick v St Vincent's

9 Dec Jordanstown 14.30 Sx3 Star v Tolka Rovers

ESB Senior Women's Cup

Date Venue Time Home Away

8 Dec UL 17.00 University of Limerick v Firhouse Notre Dame

8 Dec Oznam St 19.00 Bausch & Lomb Wildcats v Mercy Coolock

8 Dec Oblate Hall 19.30 Drimnagh Dynamoes v Tolka Rovers

11 Dec IWA 20.00 Dart Killester v Sasha Meteors

ESB Men's Superleague

Date Venue Time Home Away

9 Dec Dungannon LC 15.00 Tyrone Towers v Hibernian UCD Marian

9 Dec Parochial Hall 15.15 Esat Business Demons v Dart Killester

ESB Men's Division One

Date Venue Time Home Away

8 Dec PEC 16:00 Queen's v Neptune

8 Dec Crossmolina 20.00 Lundy Foods Ballina v ADC Moycullen

ESB Women's Division One

Date Venue Time Home Away

8 Dec St Paul's 10.00 St Paul's v University of Limerick

12.30 University of Limerick v Skibbereen

15.00 Skibbereen v St Paul's

9 Dec Sligo 10.30 Sligo All Stars v Killester

12.15 Crusaders v Cox Rockets Castlebar

15.00 Dart Killester v Crusaders

16.45 Sligo v Cox Rockets Castlebar