Demons to defend Cup honour

The ESB Senior Men’s and Women’s National Cup, will be reduced to four semi-finalists after the weekend, with eight men’s and eight women’s teams to battle it out for a place in the coveted finals weekend.

The 2004 ESB National Cup weekend will take place in the National Basketball Arena from January 30 until February 1.

Title-holders Demons, having secured home advantage, have a tough Sunday clash against St Vincent’s.

Having endured a tough start to the season, St Vincent’s came through a difficult round one game, defeating last year’s runners-up, MDS Star, for their place in the quarter-finals.

The combination of Erik Brown and Jermaine Turner is working well for Coach Joey Boylan, along with two in form Donnelly brothers, David and Emmet and St Vincent’s could be on course to providing another upset in the 2004 National Cup.

Neptune received the enviable draw of the quarter final round, having come through a tough first round against Tralee Tigers.

Neptune will play at home to Waterford Crystal who continue to struggle in the Superleague.

Neptune enjoyed a 20-point victory over Waterford Crystal earlier this season, and the club continue to find the balance, making an inevitable change to their American line-up ahead of the Cup weekend.

Frank Wilkins, a 6’9" forward and graduate of St Joseph’s Philadelphia, is due to fly into Ireland on New Years day, replacing Tony Atchison.

Robert Grant continues to struggle with an arm injury, after missing last weekend’s clash against Demons, but is expected to be fit ahead of the weekend.

Despite a superb start to the season, Neptune go into their Cup game on the back of three successive defeats, and will be anxious to return to the form that won them the league title last year.

Gerry Fitzpatrick’s men are fully fit ahead of the weekend.

Team Merry Monk Ballina, the only non-Superleague team remaining in the Senior Men’s Cup, drew a home draw against Dart Killester.

Joe McLean, who served Ballina well in the first round, is unavailable this weekend and will be replaced by 6’9" Milo Brooks.

Brooks played in the French league last season and will be paired up with the reliable John Larrimore on Saturday.

Since the addition of Keith Friel, Killester are proving a force to be reckoned with and have now recorded four straight victories.

However, Paddy Kelly begins exams on Monday morning and may be unavailable for the trip to Mayo.

BurgerKing Limerick came through the first round of the Cup on a bye, following the demise of Tolka Rovers.

Despite an unexpected defeat to Shamrock Rovers before Christmas, Limerick may be narrowly favoured to overthrow Killarney to book their place in the semi-finals.

However, Gleneagle Lakers are not to be dismissed.

Aside from their defeat to Star before Christmas, Killarney defeated Demons and Waterford Crystal, as well as taking Shamrock Rovers out of the Cup, in an impressive victory.

Both teams participated in the Castleisland tournament over Christmas, with Limerick narrowly defeated by Tralee in the final.

Limerick’s Randy Fletcher is currently receiving physio on a leg injury picked up in the final.

Former Junior international, Kevin O’Connor, broke his finger in training earlier this week, and having played well in recent games, will be a loss to Limerick this weekend.

In the Senior Women’s Cup, none of the teams were truly tested in the first round of the competition, easily overcoming their Division One opponents.

St Paul’s are back in action against Drimnagh Dynamos, having gone down 63-77 to the Dublin women, in the Superleague earlier this season.

St Paul’s have a full squad, while Emer Foley continues to be a worry within the Drimnagh camp.

Foley missed the junior women’s Cup recently due to a hamstring injury, and remains in doubt ahead of the weekend.

Team Cuba came through the first round on a bye and will be likely to struggle against Bausch & Lomb Wildcats.

The Galway team sit halfway on the Division One league table and they are likely to prove easy opponents for the experienced and full squad of Wildcats.

Glanmire will have to dig deep if they are to come out on top of their clash against University of Limerick.

Deirdre Leahy will not return to the court this year, as she continues to struggle with a lingering knee injury, while UL have practised hard over Christmas and have a full squad.

Killester’s current form should see them come through the quarter-finals over Meteors, although Suzanne Maguire, Gillian Ennis and Helena Kenny are battling illness ahead of the weekend.

Having started the season with a surplus of imports, Meteors’ Rachel Cimmier recently quit the club and returned to France, leaving the Dublin club in an unenviable position.