Andersonstown Tigers

MATCH REPORT BY STEPHEN CONNELLY 

The under 16 boys team welcome Donagh to La Salle on saturday looking to avenge a defeat earlier in the season which was as much to do with bad refereeing as it was with playing a good side. The Tigers started brightly opening up a 6-0 lead but found it hard to settle into defence, allowing Donagh back into the game with a 5 point streak. The game was starting to slow down, as Donagh began to settle into their 2-1-2 defence which was giving the Tigers post players trouble getting the ball. However the Tigers kept up the work rate but were unfortunate to lose Mark Wilkinson to injury at the end of the first quarter. As the Tigers main threat it was a huge loss but the rest of the team rallied together with big defensive displays from Mairtin Bell and Peter o' Prey as well as some great drives from Lee Steele and Jarius Tubera. With Donagh behind they found themselves getting angry causing to a few technical and professional fouls. But the Tigers failed to capitalise this making just 2 free throws from the 6 they were given. But the Tigers stepped up their defense and even without the height of Mark found themselves taking rebounds more easily. Donagh had no match for the Tigers offense even though they could not take the majority of their chances. In a very low scoring game the Tigers ran out deserving winners with the final score 25-22. The Tigers now go top of the league albeit having played a game more than Donagh, and find themselves within touching distance of finals day.

Earlier in the Day the under 14 girls suffered a heavy loss against Donagh even though all of the girls put in a brave performance but the Donagh girls were just too strong.

Well Done to everyone.

On Wednesday night the Tigers welcomed Craigavon Eagles to Andersonstown Leisure Centre in another MUST WIN game to keep their top 4 hopes alive. Having opened the season with a win away to Eagles, the Tigers were confident of making it 2 for 2 against their opponents. The Tigers started brightly with another opening 3pointer from Remus making it two games in a row that he has opened the scoring with a 3. But Craigavon came out fighting and matched the tigers almost point for point in the first and second quarter. In particular, Eagles had a post player in the middle scoring most of their points that the Tigers struggled to cope with.
But the Tigers kept at it, opening up a lead in the third quarter that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. With Remus, Eman, Angelo, Rory Best and Stephen Fox running up the score the Eagles were finding it difficult to cope, lashing out regularly, causing 3 of their main scorers to foul out by the fourth quarter, leaving them with only 4 players to play the remainder of the game. The Tigers capitalised on this by extending their lead and closing out the win. It was a scrappy affair from both sides with more than a few disagreements between both teams. But the Tigers for the most part kept their cool and have now extended their unbeaten run to 3 in 2010 and sit happily in mid-table with games in hand over the teams above them and a record of 6 wins and 2 losses.

Final Score: Andersonstown Tigers 78 - 63 Craigavon Eagles