LIMERICK Celtics are through to the All-Ireland U18 Men’s National Cup Final following a deserved 88-61 win over the highly-rated Dublin Lions in Cork.
Sharp shooting and superb defence were the hallmarks of this landmark victory.
One of the standout moments in the first half was the back-to-back 3’s which were answered on either end of the court. The first half finished on a score of 42-27 to Celtics.
Martin Frawley got the second-half underway for Celtics with skilful fast-break assisted by Dennis Matthews. Lions applied full-court pressure early into the third quarter and were rewarded with two centre drives from Dave Olokun. Celtics struggled with fouling early in the third quarter but Sean McNamara kept the scoreboard ticking enabling them to hold on to their lead.
Dublin Lions came out inspired in the final quarter of the game, putting serious pressure on the Limerick side. Philip Kearney ensured that the rebounds were under control, scoring vital putbacks. Celtics held off the late surge of scores from the Dublin side to win this lively tie by 27 points.
Limerick Celtics head coach Tony Hehir said “The game went very well from our point of view, we executed well, and our defence was effective against Lions, who are a fantastic team. We can’t wait for the final against Templeogue in two weeks’ time”.
Limerick Celtics: Cian Gleeson, James Corcoran, Martin Frawley, Sean McNamara, Daniel O’Toole, Rodhan Harris, Philip Kearney, Oliver Barry, Dennis Matthews, Kevin Morrow, Matthew Barry, Con Kirby, Colm McCarthy, Callum O’Rourke, Asher Holmes, Amr Adballa.
Top Scorers: Gleeson (23), McNamara (20), Kearney (13).
