An Cearnog Nua, Moycullen get their first shot at national basketball cup honours when they face old rivals St Mary’s Castleisland in the division one showdown on Saturday (1.30pm ).
Although Moycullen have featured in two league final appearances over the past four years, they have never made it beyond the quarter-finals of the cup until this season.
Now An Cearnog Nua, Moycullen face one of their longstanding rivals in Saturday’s decider at the National Basketball Arena in Tallagh.
The two outfits have a long history, and know each other inside out. Home venue has been the deciding factor, and this year Moycullen won by 15 in Galway, while Castleisland won by 12 in Kerry. Moycullen clocked up an amazing 86-46 victory in 2006, but in the return in 2007, Castleisland dished out an 80-39 hammering to the visitors. In both cases, the opposition turned around the result in the next meeting.
As a result neither side will be outright favourites going into this contest with the neutral venue providing an interesting dimension.
Both teams boast plenty of firepower, but two figures synonymous with the contests over the past 10 seasons, Moycullen’s John Cunningham and Castleisland’s Brosnan, will miss their team’s big day with possible season-ending injuries.
While Moycullen rely on suffocating defence, Castleisland mix up a lethal shooting game with huge aggression on the offensive glass.
Moycullen are hoping Garnett Griffin in fit in time to join Nollaig Cunningham in the battle of the boards against the Castleisland triumvirate of John Galvin, Michael Broderick, and Maurice Casey. On the flipside, Castleisland’s team leader, Declan Wall, will miss the experienced Brosnan in the battle to contain the Moycullen guard threat from Cian Nihill, James Loughnane, and Eoghan Maxwell.
Another interesting match-up is at the wing or “three” position where both teams combine vast experience with Lithuanian flair. Dainius Varanauskas has been a key addition to the Castleisland fold this year, bringing superleague experience to the mix. He combines well with the vastly experienced duo of Tommy Fleming and player coach, Brian Clernon. For Moycullen, national javelin champion Mindaugus Kurcenkovas is ably supported by Glenn Hynes.
Both clubs have come through testing draws. Moycullen faced last year’s cup winners UCD/Marian in their opening round, producing their best performance of the season when storming to a 15-point first quarter lead. Sealing the deal in the second quarter, they cruised through the second half to a stunning 83-66 victory. The quarter-final was a different contest with Longford Falcons providing the opposition. For three-quarters of the match they looked like pulling off a shock victory, but Moycullen battled through in the fourth to seal a 58-48 victory.
This set up the epic semi-final with Titans, and although missing John Cunningham, Glenn Hynes, and Garnett Griffin, a superb defensive performance tied up the free-scoring Titans attack. Inspired by James Loughnane at the offensive end, they turned the game around in the fourth and won a thriller in overtime.
Team Garveys have had a similar path to the final. Two straightforward early victories over Neptune and Sligo All Stars set up a quarter-final with their perennial conquerors, Tolka Rovers. They travelled into the lion’s den in Dublin and came away with a stunning 90-66 victory. John Galvin, Dainius Varanauskas, and Declan Wall combined for 70 points as they laid their demons to rest. This set up a mouthwatering semi-final with Ballina, and, in a thriller to match the Moycullen v Titans contest, they almost blew a late lead before a last-second rebound and tip in from Varanauskas sealed a one-point win on their home court.
Saturday’s two protagonists have deep community roots and will leave everything on the court on Saturday. From Mosney to Ennistymon, Tallaght to Longford, they have met in club contests of all dimensions, yet it was not until two seasons ago that Moycullen’s National League side registered a win over their opponents. Since then the odds have evened, and on Saturday, it is all to play for.
With such an even mix of talents, each team will be searching for some small angle that might give them the edge. From the beginning of this season, Moycullen have looked like a side capable of becoming title holders. Their experience of last year’s National u-20 Cup final should stand to them, and could well see them grab a All Ireland crown over Kerry opposition.
