DART Killester capture Superleague title

DART Killester 95 Merry Monk Ballina 90

DART Killester are the 2007 Nivea For Men SuperLeague Champions after a superb tussle against Merry Monk Ballina at the UL Arena today.

The game was a tense affair with the two Northern Conference sides looking for their first piece of silverware of the season.

Mark Keenan’s side had less time to prepare for the game after a tough battle against UCC Demons on Saturday evening and also surrendered the game to a hungry Ballina side in the final quarter.

It was DART Killester who took the early lead with Craig Walls and Michael Goj scoring early points for the Dubliners as they took a 7-2 lead in the first quarter.

Ballina responded with points from Robert Taylor and Orlando Melendez and kept Killester firmly in their crosshairs but Paddy Kelly was in flying form and the eventual MVP award winner was scoring feely.

However, Ballina finished the opening quarter strongly and took the lead with Robert Taylor providing the firepower for Terry Kennedy’s men.

Killester refused to concede any ground and by the end of the first quarter the sides were level with 20 points apiece.

Merry Monk Ballina stormed ahead in the second quarter with Scott Kinevane and a three pointer from Orlando Melendez sticking the knife in DART Killester.

Michael Goj struck back for Killester with Damien Sealy and two free throws from Paddy Kelly bringing the Northsiders back to within a point of Ballina 29-28.

DART Killester then seized control of the encounter and baskets from Isaac Westbrooks and a string of scores from Paddy Kelly saw Mark Keenans men sieze control of the game.

Further points from Damien Sealy and the American Bryce Burch mean that DART Killester went in at the half-time break seven points to the good over Ballina (47-40).

The penultimate quarter saw Killester continue their dominance with the American pair Bryce Burch and Craig Walls netting scores for DART Killester.

Merry Monk Ballina now lay 10 points behind but a brace of three pointers from Captain Jay Marriott and a basket from Scott Kinevane helped alleviate the pressure.

Ballina now were just two points adrift in the game but DART Killester stepped up a gear yet again with Michael Goj netting the final basket of the quarter for the Northern Conference Champions to leave the score 69-65 going into the final quarter.

The encounter heated up to an intense level in the final quarter and with both Craig Walls and Bryce Burch fouling out for Killester it looked as if Ballina would steal back into the game.

Robert Taylor was proving the sentiment correct as his string of scores brought the men from the west into the lead 76-75.

Killester stole back the lead with stalwart Jerome Westbrooks amongst the scorers before Melendez and Taylor reeled them back in and powered Ballina ahead by seven points with just more than three minutes left on the clock.

Heartbreak was to follow for Ballina as Michael Goj chipped in with some vital scores for Killester with the Polish star putting the Dublin outfit back on top where they were to stay for the remainder of the contest.

Ballina were on their knees and the killer blow was struck by Isaac Westbrooks and rounded off by Paddy Kelly as their free throws sealed the victory for DART Killester in the final seconds, winning out 95-90.