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Alan Cantwell on Warriors win away on Saturday to stay top of the Super League…
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 87
UCD Marian 76
Action from the game. Photo by Liam Ryan
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors remain on top of the Super League table following an 86-76 win over keen rivals UCD Marian at the Belfield Sports Complex last Saturday night.
The Warriors exacted full revenge on Marian who had inflicted a defeat on the Tralee side in the opening game of the campaign and repaid them with interest by winning out after asserting late on.
Matt Kelly opened the Marian account early in the first with a three and Mario Marciewizc and Mike Garrow added to give the hosts an early lead.
Paul Dick got the Warriors in gear before Jon Lawton fired down a three to bring the visitors back on terms.
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Garrow and Aidan Dunne pushed the hosts back in front but the Warrriors new recruit Andre Berry announced his arrival on the Super League stage by hitting four straight scores after Rap Buivydas had tapped in and to edge the Warriors 19-18 ahead at the end of the first.
Eoin Quigley fired his way into the game early in the second with a three and followed that up with a driving score plus the extra.
Aidan Dunne replied with a hat trick of scores for the hosts and when Igor Markiewizc converted two from two Marian had their noses back in front. However, a short, sharp burst of scores from the Warriors initiated by a Fergal O’Sullivan three and added to by two from Ivan Bogdanvicand another from Paul Dick had the visitors 9 points up.
Action from the game. Photo by Liam Ryan
Marian responded late with Garrow hitting a three and two from the line and when Dunne did likewise the Warriors lead was cut to 2, 37-35 at the long break.
The third quarter saw both sides go toe to toe early on and Quigley again opened up for his second three of the night.
Daniel Jokubaitis followed Quigley’s lead and Bogdanovic was very good inside again with back to back scores. Marian hit back through Markiewizc and Garrow with two scores apiece.
As he had done last week against Neptune Jon Lawton then produced a couple of moments of absolute class to fire down two threes either side of a stunning banked effort that gave the Warriors a 12 point lead and forced Marian coach Iannis Liapakis to call an urgent time out.
UCD reacted well as two from Scott Kinevane and a three from Cathal Finn had the hosts back within 5.
Action from the game. Photo by Liam Ryan
Kieran Donaghy then brought his influence from one end of the court to the other to check in with a score and add two from two to see the Warriors take a 6 point 60-54 lead up the stretch.
Just when it looked like the Warriors had mobilised for the final quarter push the hosts fired their way back into contention and then took the lead with efforts from Kinevane, Dunne, Kelly and Barry Drumm.
The contest moved quickly into overdrive with Jokubaitis and Lawton slamming down a three each but a Kinevane three saw Marian edge ahead again by 68-67.
The Warriors defence at this stage had got to grips with the Marian shooters and then initiated an all out attack themselves spearheaded by an outstanding display from Paul Dick.
He launched drive after drive to the Marian board firing in the next 10 Warrior points and tormented the hosts in front of their animated bench.
Neil Baynes hit two in a row for Marian to bring the lead back to 3 before using up his foul allowance.
Fittingly the two outstanding offensive players on the night for the Warriors Paul Dick and Jon Lawton fired in two late showstopping and game winning threes to seal another significant win for the defending champions.
Scorers: Marian Aidan Dunne 21, Mike Garrow 13, Scott Kinevane 13
Warriors: Jon Lawton 20, Paul Dick 19, Ivan Bogdanovic 11
• Next up for the Warriors is the toughest of road trips as go head north of the border to take on Belfast Star in the De La Salle Hall next Saturday night. Along with DBS Eanna, the sides go into the contest as the form teams of the League, and it promises to be a game to savour before the festive break. Tip off next Saturday in Belfast is at 6.30pm.
