Men’s National League Division One

Scotts Lakers v Killarney Cougars

Saturday 7.30pm

Killarney Sports & Leisure Centre

All roads lead to the Killarney Sports & Leisure Centre on Saturday night as the town’s Men’s National League teams square off in what is sure to be an explosive encounter.

Being local rivals has been more than enough to get the juices flowing in recent seasons but added to the cauldron this time around is the Ron Howard factor. The American coach took over the Lakers at the start of the season but in an unusual turn of events – the exact details of which are disputed by the relevant parties – his time at the club came to a premature end after just seven matches. The Lakers promptly brought in the Spaniard Manuel Suarez as Howard’s replacement.

In a move that shocked many in the local basketball fraternity, Howard was subsequently unveiled as the new Head Coach of the Lakers’ fierce crosstown rivals, the Killarney Cougars.

It will be interesting to see what kind of welcome Howard will receive when he returns to the Lakers’ home patch on Saturday.

On paper, the Lakers should be favourites going into this derby. Suarez’s side sit fourth in the Southern Conference, well positioned to claim a spot in the playoffs. The Cougars, meanwhile, have struggled to pick up points, losing all but one of their 19 matches to date.

However, local derbies can be unpredictable, and the Cougars did manage to get one over on the Lakers in the corresponding fixture last season, so there are no guarantees heading into this keenly anticipated duel.

Both teams will be looking to their American stars to lead the way on the scoresheet. Mikah Blackwell has been a consistent attacking threat for the Lakers all season long and for the Cougars, Joshua Strongman can be a real handful – he got 36 points in their last outing, a defeat to Team NorthWest.

There will also be plenty of local talent on show with the likes of Eoin Carroll (Lakers) and Jack Lynch (Cougars) looking to make an impact for their respective teams.