National League

Dec 09 2022

Preview: Great rivalries, Cork derbies and rematches the theme in the latest National League preview

The complexion of the MissQuote.ie Super League could take another significant turn this weekend, as DCU Mercy look to draw level with defending champions The Address UCC Glanmire on Saturday afternoon.

“A great rivalry has built up between the two clubs over the last decade,” said DCU Mercy head coach Mark Ingle. “It’s always a great game and this should prove no different. We’re really looking forward to the challenge ahead of us."

His opposite number Mark Scannell is equally effusive about the contest, adding “It’ll be good to get back to the league this week. Our games against DCU Mercy are always exciting and a real test of where we are as a team. We will have to be prepared and very focused to get a result against the best defense in the league.”

With two of the top three squaring off, a chance presents itself for Waterford Wildcats to claw themselves closer still, to the top of the table. They face a cup quarter-final rematch with Leixlip Amenities Liffey Celtics, a prospect that head coach Tommy O’Mahony knows will be a tougher assignment than a week ago:

“We had an epic battle against them in the cup last weekend. I’m sure both teams will make several adjustments from last week and it will be a different game. They have three Irish internationals, as well Americans that can cause havoc. We understand we need to stay tuned in for the full match as any lapses will be severely punished like they were last time,” O’Mahony said.

“They scored 36-points in transition last week (that’s outrageous) and so immediately we know that’s an area we know we’ll need to improve on this week to come away with a win,” said Leixlip Amenities Liffey Celtics head coach Karl Kilbride when assessing the rematch.

There’s a Cork derby at Fr.Mathews arena where Singleton SuperValu Brunell will try to end a three-game losing streak against i3PT Fr.Mathews. “We are really looking forward to getting back on the court after a two-week break,” said head coach of Brunell Liam Culloty. “i3PT Fr.Mathews are playing really well at the moment and will definitely cause us problems. We are hoping to start off December with a win and build momentum over the coming weeks.”

Niamh Dwyer is asking her i3PT Fr.Mathews players for a renewed focus. “Brunell is always a big game, but even more so after last weekend. We will have to put in 40-minutes of basketball to get a result and that’s going to be our focus.”

Trinity Meteors will have eyes on sole possession of top spot of the MissQuote.ie Super League standings when they welcome Ulster University to Dublin. Patrick O’Neill’s team have had a tough run of fixtures, with DCU Mercy, Killester and The Address UCC Glanmire in succession prior to this meeting with Niall Berry’s outfit.

Killester have quietly got their season back on track with two victories in succession, including a statement win against DCU Mercy last time out in the league. They welcome an injury ravaged University of Galway Mystics team, with head coach Paul O’Brien hopeful that they’ll soon turn a corner.

In the InsureMyVan.ie Super League, the leaders of the North and South conference meet on Saturday evening when University of Galway Maree and Belfast Star face-off in the aftermath of a titanic National Cup quarter-final just a week ago.

“Obviously it’s not ideal playing the same team back-to-back weekends, but such is the way the cup draw fell.” Said UG Maree head coach Charlie Crowley. “We’ll need to prepare physically and mentally if we’re to put it up to Belfast on Saturday.” If Belfast Star are to turn the tables, they’ll have to do without one of their leading players Aidan Quinn. “Aidan picked up an ankle injury in practice this week. An initial assessment has him out for a few weeks,” admitted head coach Adrian Fulton. “We only played for about 30-minutes last week and as a result, came away empty handed. We are hoping we can learn from our defeat last weekend and push a very good Maree side for the entire 40-minutes this time around.”

Bright St.Vincents are a team riding the crest of a wave after advancing to their first InsureMyHouse.ie National Cup semi-final in 17 years. Garvey’s Tralee Warriors are tasked with putting a quick end to their momentum. “Tralee is a team full of quality players, most of them who were part of great success they had last season. So, they have both quality and experience,” asserts head coach Josko Srzic. It’s been a difficult season to date for head coach of the defending champions, John Dowling. He is all too aware of the threat posed by their opposition. “St Vincent’s showed last weekend that they are on an upward trend and coach Srzic has done an excellent job with his talent. We are excited to get back in action and execute some of the stuff we have been working on in practice.”

It was a disappointing exit from the cup for Energywise Ireland Neptune last weekend. They’re looking to bounce back to form and keep the pace with the contenders for silverware when EJ Sligo All-Stars visit Cork. “December can be a tough time of year to focus entirely on basketball with college, work and family commitments so we will look to find the right balance over the next few weeks to keep guys mentally fresh and enthusiastic for challenges ahead,” said head coach Colin O’Reilly. For EJ Sligo All-Stars, a win would take them back above .500 for the campaign. “We are struggling with injuries at the moment, but hopefully we can produce the team performance we have been looking for to compete with Neptune. They are talented and deep and will be hungry for a win too after a few disappointing results,” said head coach Shane O’Meara.

Belfast Star will be without Aidan Quinn for the game against University of Galway Maree.

DBS Eanna have really found their stride in recent weeks. A big win in the last eight of the National Cup preceded by a run of four wins in a row in the InsureMyVan.ie Super League. Head coach Darren McGovern is not taking Moycullen lightly despite their record so far this season. “Moycullen have made some changes and look to be on a pathway to more wins after picking up a good win at home recently. We have to keep focusing on ourselves and keep finding our groove in games. I'm excited for another big game in Colaiste Éanna and hope to see a big crowd to spur us on,” he said. Moycullen enter the game looking for successive wins after picking up a much needed victory over UCC Demons in the previous round of games.

In a week of cross conference play, Griffith College Templeogue take on UCC Demons with both teams solely focused on making up ground in their respective standings and Flexachem KCYMS take on UCD Marian in Killorglin. The Kerry team have been on the wrong side of several close games this season and will feel better than their 2-6 record suggests. Jonathan Jean has been on fire for UCD Marian this season, finishing runner-up in the voting for ‘Player Of The Month’ honours in November. They will again be looking for a big scoring performance from him if they’re to come out on top and move off the foot of the Northern Conference table.

Marble City Hawks and Limerick Celtics battled it out in the MissQuote.ie Division 1 Thursday night game, Limerick Celtics winning it 37-78, thanks to a 27-point haul by Alexandra Navarette in addition to 16-points from Irish underage international Lucy Devoy. Portlaoise Panthers look to maintain their unbeaten record, as they welcome Oblate Dynamos to the midlands, while McEvoy's Cavan Eagles and Moy Tolka Rovers aim to keep the pressure on the league leaders when the face Swords Thunder and Abbey Seals Dublin Lions respectively.

The InsureMyVan.ie Men's Division 1 looks like four teams are going to battle it out for the top prize this season. Limerick Sport Eagles lead the way currently and face a 2-6 SETU Waterford Vikings squad. Moy Tolka Rovers face Scotts Lakers SPK, Limerick Celtics are on the road to play Killarney Cougars and Drogheda Wolves have home advantage against Portlaoise Panthers. Having played two games fewer than the table toppers, Malahide could still force themselve into the reckoning with a pair of wins. They make the long trip to Donegal to play Team NorthWest this weekend.

Coaches Corner

InsureMyVan.ie Super League

Mark Keenan – Griffith College Templeogue

“We’re looking forward to getting back to action after the weekend off and UCC Demons will be a really tough test for us. They have a very talented and deep squad and have taken some big scalps already this season.”

Daniel O’Mahony – UCC Demons

“On the back of two disappointing defeats we are hoping to bounce back this coming week. We had few injuries recently but with the break last weekend have giving fellas an opportunity to recover ahead of our trip to Templeogue.”

Declan Wall – Flexachem KCYMS

“Glad to be getting 2 home games in the lead up to Christmas starting with UCD Marian Saturday night. Had a 2 week break with the cup last weekend so got to rest a few bodies and make a few tweaks here and there that will hopefully help us. It's small margins in these games for us this season and doing the simple things right give you a chance every week so that's our focus at practice. The lads have been working hard so looking forward to Saturday night.”

MissQuote.ie Super League

Niall Berry – Trinity Meteors

“After last week’s game and preparing for Ulster this week I have a massive respect for the job Pat had done in that program so far this season. Ulster are a very competitive team in this league, even though the results don’t paint that picture. We saw firsthand last week what they are capable of in what the very competitive cup game was. We’re excited for the game and know that we will need to be fully prepared in order to meet the challenge and effort they will undoubtedly bring again this weekend.”

Paul O’Brien – UG Mystics

“We are disappointed after last week getting knocked out of the cup but have a chance to play Killester again this weekend. We felt we did a lot of things well and having Naomi back helped us. The focus this week is to try and fix some of the things that we felt we didn't do well and the goal is to improve upon last week's performance. Killester are a really good team and hard to beat at home. We need to do a better job containing the ball and keeping them away from the rim to be in with a chance.”

Mark Grennell – Killester

“It’s always tougher seeing an opponent twice in 8 days. It’ll be another battle where we will have to be even better than we were on Saturday to get the league win that we need. Paul has them playing great basketball and with his girls returning to fitness it’ll make life very difficult for the whole league. We are confident and we want to try keep our run going of good performances and keeping progressing.”