Moycullen’s honourable defeat to leaders

Date Published: 24-Dec-2009

DESPITE another superb showing from the dynamic duo of Nate Fritsch and Cian Nihill, Moycullen just came up short against league leaders, UL Eagles, on Satuday night in Limerick when the home team proved to be just two to three points a quarter better than them.

There was no shame in the defeat but it was frustrating as the opportunity was there for Moycullen to capture their first real big scalp in Superleague.

Buoyed by a great start and another excellent defensive effort, the team were still in with a chance when narrowing the gap to five points late in the fourth, but an over reliance on Fritsch and Nihill for their scores was too much of a burden as UL Eagles weathered the storm.

Despite the defeat, with ten of the 18 games played and a 3-7 record, Moycullen can reflect on a solid start to their Superleague adventure and can face the New Year optimistic of further adding to their wins column.

First up is a Jan 2nd encounter at home to Blue Demons.

The scoreline possibly flatters UL Eagles but, is a measure of the step Moycullen have to make to become truly competitive at the level. They are able to match and even better their more experienced opponents for much of the game but brief drops in concentration levels have punished them.

Physical size is also an issue for the young Moycullen players as they are smaller in most positions than their opponents.

The return of Garnett Griffin is a welcome boost on that front. Experience gained is a major part of the solution and hard work in training will provide the rest of it. Coach Enda Byrt will regroup over Christmas and plan carefully the assault on the second half of the season. “Much done, a lot more to do”.

For a full report from the match see Page 30 of this week’s Connacht Tribune or Galway City Tribune.