Templeogue on the brink of Super League glory

By Stephen Leonard

TEMPLEOGUE will, this Saturday, be playing for their first ever Men’s Super League Basketball title when they welcome Garvey’s Tralee Warriors to the Oblate Hall in Inchicore.

With just two games remaining, Mark Keenan’s side have carved out a six-point lead over closest rivals Griffith Swords Thunder, meaning just one more victory will see them over the line after several seasons knocking on the door of this coveted prize.

Yet, having won their last ten matches in climbing to third place in the table, Tralee present a formidable challenge and will, no doubt, be out to spoil the party.

Only last week they jammed a stick in the spokes of Swords’ title challenge when they dished them out a seven-point defeat in Kerry after which Templeogue capitalised, beating Killester to go six points clear with two games to go.

Keenan is certainly not taking lightly the challenge of Tralee despite his side being the last team to beat them in the league.

“It’s going to be a massive challenge he told The Echo. “They [Tralee] have a fighting chance of taking second place if Swords lose their last two games so they have a lot to play for.

“They are quality side and a huge team size wise and they’re strong in every position.

“We have good confidence having won in Tralee. I know they didn’t have [Kieran] Donaghy for that game, and he adds that dimension to them.

“They will no doubt have their strongest team there on Saturday.

“We certainly have the confidence and ability to do it.  It’s in our own hands. We’ve been taking it one game at time and now we’ll just focus on Saturday and not get ahead of the Tralee game” he added.

Swords, the only side who can catch Templeogue, face a tricky task themselves this weekend in keeping alive the title race as they play host to a UCD Marian outfit who have been the only team to inflict a league defeat on Templeogue so far this season.

They sit level on points with Tralee and so have everything to play for on Saturday when they visit ALSAA Sports Hall.

“It would be lovely if UCD were to do us a favour, but that’s out of our hands and we’ve just got to concentrate on our own scenario and go give it 120 percent” said Keenan.

“ We played some great ball against Killester in our last match, but had some sloppy patches too. We did play great basketball to close out that game.

“Jason hit some massive shots for us and Lorcan [Murphy] and Baolach [Morrison] were brilliant.

“Not alone do the players have the experience, they also have motivation, especially after letting it [the title] slip last year.

“We had it in our grasp last season, but we let it slip and the players will not want to let that happen again” he insisted.