Sport

Templeogue defiant ahead of league run despite depleted side

Head coach Mark Keenan struggling with long injury list ahead of Eanna BC encounter

Templeogue head coach Mark Keenan cannot afford to rest players at this stage of the Premier League season. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho.

Fri Feb 19 2016 - 01:00

Templeogue head coach Mark Keenan admits he's struggling to put a fully-fit team on the floor in a bid to add league honours to the recent Hula Hoops National Cup win.

The Philips Manager of the Month for January will be without up to six front-line players for this weekend’s game at home to Eanna.

With four games to play, Templeogue are behind leader's C&S UCC Demons on points-difference in the Men's Premier League..

“It’s just about managing bodies at this stage in the season,” said Keenan.

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“We have the belief that it’s in our own hands and we’ll just have to get on with it. I’d love to rest the likes of Jason (Killeen) Mike (Bonaparte) but we just can’t afford any slip ups.”

Demons host sixth place Belfast Star on Sunday.

Post-season playoffs

With DCU Mercy already crowned as champions in the Women’s Premier League, attention now turns to playoffs in the post-season. Three teams are fighting for two home quarter-final spots with Pyrobel Killester travelling to Maxol WIT Wildcats and Meteors at home to Courtyard Liffey Celtics.

Meteors head coach Mark Byrne says his side are excited to be in the hunt at the business end of the season: "We've won five of our last six league games and we're still looking to improve. Last year we missed out on the playoffs so we're relishing this opportunity.

“The key is to have focus. We can’t afford to be complacent.”

At the other end, UL Huskies know they will guarantee their place in next season’s league if they can pull off an upset at home to DCU Mercy.

The Limerick side were saved from relegation in 2015 due to the expansion of the National League.

Saturday: Men’s Premier League – GCD Swords Thunder v Pyrobel Killester, ALSAA, Dublin, 6.0pm; DCU Saints v SSE Airtricity Moycullen, DCU Complex, 7.0; Templeogue v Eanna BC, Oblate Hall, Inchicore, 7.30; UCD Marian v UL Eagles, UCD, 7.0.

Women’s Premier League: Meteors v Courtyard Liffey Celtics, Colaiste Iosagain, Stillorgan, 4.0; Maxol WIT Wildcats v Pyrobel Killester, Mercy SS, Waterford, 7.0; UL Huskies v DCU Mercy, UL Arena, 7.0.

Sunday – Men’s Premier League: C&S UCC Demons v Belfast Star, Mardyke Arena, Cork, 3.15.

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