DOUBTS over the fitness of 36-year-old American Doug Arnold and the availability of exam-tied Stephen McGuirk have severely hampered the preparations this week of third placed St Vincent's, who take on the new outright Budweiser superleague leaders, Neptune, in Cork tomorrow night.
Arnold injured his back in the victory over Queen's on Saturday last and has not trained since. Thinking it was not a serious problem, he delayed before seeing a doctor but even up to yesterday his movement was restricted.
St Vincent's club secretary, Pat Boylan, began making inquiries on Wednesday to seek a replacement. With free agent Sean Bell likely to be taken on by Killester as a replacement for the ailing, Randall Mounts, there only remained the two recently released Tolka Americans, neither of whom were regarded as suitable replacements for Arnold.
Boylan has cast his net further afield to England, where there are a number of available players, and he has up to mid-afternoon today to sign up a player and complete the formality of having Arnold seen by an IBA doctor.
Of equal concern to St Vincent's is the possible unavailability of McGuirk, who has business studies exams on Monday next. A journey to Cork and back would consume much of the weekend and it remains to be seen if he can afford to give up that time to play for his club.
The match is not of critical importance to the Dubliners whose title chances are negligible while their place in the top four championship is virtually secure. However, the proud Dublin club, who have twice won the league in the `90s, are highly aware of how important the game is in the current campaign.
"I don't think it's right that we go down to Cork without making our best effort to put out a full-strength squad and that is what we're doing," said Boylan yesterday.
After Neptune's remarkable away win over Star of the Sea last Sunday in Belfast, tomorrow's game on their home court against St Vincent's is a major test of the Cork side's league title favouritism. Having beaten Star twice this season, Neptune can afford to lose one of their remaining four league games and still win the superleague, but with an away match in Killarney just over a week away, it would be a major blow if they were to immediately relinquish the advantage they worked so hard to gain last Sunday in Belfast.
St Vincent's are not the only team with player difficulties. Their near neighbours, Killester, have two injury and illness troubled Americans, one of whom, Mounts, has been very sick for a week. Their other American, Prentis Phillips, has a dislocated finger an injury suffered a week ago in the narrow defeat by Tralee.
Against doctor's advice, Phillip=s will travel with the squad to Sligo tomorrow and it is likely that he will play although he will not be in the starting five.
In Gateaux Women's Division 1, Wildcats will go clear on top of the league if they win as expected, away to Brunell on Sunday. Meteors, who have played a game more than their pursuers, are not in action.
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