U14 All-Ireland Club C’ship success for Eanna basketball

ÉANNA basketball club continued their record-breaking season in Gormanston over the weekend with a first time win for the club U14 team of the All-Ireland Club Championship (AICC).

Twenty five regional league winning teams from around the country descended for group stage games, to decide who would make up the Tier 1, 2 and 3 divisional play-offs on Sunday.

Éanna who are unbeaten all season, were in the highest ranked group and faced tough opposition from Limerick Celtics, Portlaoise Panthers and Letterkenny Blaze.

The Ballyroan side had played Celtics and Panthers in recent tournaments and knew they had work ahead.

However, success breeds success and the boys once again rose to the occasion and won all three games to come out group winners

Éanna played Blue Demons from Cork in the quarter final and the game started uncharacteristically slowly for Eanna as they fell behind 4-6 after the first quarter.

However, the tables were turned in the second quarter and they led 21-19 at half time after some great team interplay and clutch baskets.  While the game remained tight and hard fought, they extended their lead in the second half to finish 41-33 and into the semis against Bantry.

Bantry who had won their group on Saturday following an exceptional performance and win against one of the tournament favourites, Castleisland from Kerry, and so Éanna knew they were up against serious opposition.

Bantry were excellently coached and had played Éanna before, so they knew how we played.

The first quarter was all Bantry and they sank 3 3-pointers in quick succession to finish the quarter 15-6 ahead leaving Éanna with work to do.

Eanna responded in the second quarter with great team play to claw back the gap and prevent Bantry scoring, and finished the half just 17-19 down.

The third quarter was very tight again and the teams traded scores to go into the final quarter with a 3 point lead for Bantry.

This was unchartered territory for Éanna and nerves were showing, especially among the parents who were going hoarse from the support they were giving the team.

The exertions however started to take their toll on Bantry while Eanna found a second wind in the final quarter, and Éanna found their range and slotted in basket after crunch basket to win the quarter 17-6 and take a 43-35 deserved win and a place in the Division A final.

The team went into the final determined to take the win and bring the cup home to Rathfarnham.

It wasn’t going to be easy though as they faced Portlaoise Panthers once again.  Panthers having finished second in the group stages and had defeated Limerick Celtics in their Semi.

Once again the final started cagey and the teams traded baskets in the first quarter with tight marking on both sides to finish the quarter with a 13-12 lead to Panthers.

The trend continued in the second quarter with scores hard to come by and the margins were equally tight at half time with Éanna 2 points down at 28-26.

The third quarter was the turning point and Éanna’s greater strength in depth started to show and they edged the quarter 9-5 to take a 2 point lead into the final quarter.

Panthers weren’t going to give up easy though and they came out fighting in the final quarter determined to turn it around, but Eanna held tight and took their scores and again held panthers to single figures, running out with a 14-9 win in the quarter and a 49-42 victory.

The Eanna boys had done it and marked a momentous occasion for the team, going unbeaten all season in Dublin with the league and cup double and now extending that winning streak all the way to the AICC championship.