With the semi-finals of the SuperLeague cup looming a week later — Demons face a third derby game of the season against neighbours Bord Gáis Neptune in that competition — coach Paul Kelleher will be looking for something special.
He has already said that, as far as he is concerned, the recent one-sided derby at Neptune Stadium will count for nothing come the cup semi-final but he also insisted that Demons are still a work-in-progress.
"Killester are still one of the best teams in this country and we will have to be very focused against them as they blew us away in the early stages when we played them recently in Dublin," he said.
"We are enjoying a rich vein of form at the moment and it is imperative that we maintain that and that we get a win before we take on Neptune in the national cup semi-final."
Killester have a big cup final date with their old foes UL Eagles ahead of them so coach Darren O’Neill will be trying to get a win after last Thursday’s overtime defeat by DCU Saints.
"There is no doubt that we are up for it," O’Neill insisted. "Paul [Kelleher] has a really strong squad and they are causing teams a lot of problems at the moment.
"We will have to be at our very best as a result from this game will be a huge confidence-booster for both teams ahead of the cup games against UL and Neptune, which are just a week away."
UCD Marian begin their double-header weekend with a tricky home clash against Belfast Star — a team desperately in need of league points — followed by a visit from DCU Saints on Sunday.
"Saints are very much the form team in this country and we will have to be clinical at both ends of the floor to get anything from this game but it’s not beyond us," coach Fran Ryan said.
A win for Star tomorrow night would be a just reward for veteran coach Danny Fulton, who has had to endure more than his share of frustration this season.
"Since we signed Joshua Johnson we have played some good basketball and had a place in the national cup semi-final snatched from our grasp by Neptune in the closing seconds," he said.
Mention of Neptune is bound to raise a few hackles in the camp as Star entertain them again on Sunday with coach Mark Scannell in buoyant mood after a big win over UL Eagles on Monday.
"We needed a response after getting wiped out by UCC Demons over the Christmas period and we showed great character to defeat Eagles on their home court," he said.
UL Eagles, following that defeat, won’t be taking any chances against Moycullen when they renew rivalry at NUIG, as the Galway side have already beaten them once this season.
In the Nivea Women’s SuperLeague, leaders UL travel to Waterford to play Wildcats while Team Montenotte Hotel are away to Ulster Rockets, before the sides meet in the semi-final of the cup at Neptune Stadium a week later.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, January 06, 2012
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