National League: Division 1
Scotts Lakers v Bad Bob’s Tolka Rovers
Saturday at 7.30pm
Killarney Sports Centre

The Lakers host the dubiously named Bad Bob’s Tolka Rovers on Saturday night and with just three games remaining in the regular season, Cormac O’Donoghue’s side will be more than a little anxious to get back to winning ways.

After an extended period of dominance that saw them win 11 games out of 12, the Lakers came up short against the Dublin Lions and DBS Éanna in recent weeks and a third consecutive defeat this weekend would be major blow. The Lions and Éanna are two of the strongest teams in the division but players and management know that this is the wrong time of the year to get into a losing habit.

The major concern for the Lakers at the minute is the lack of bodies at their disposal. Coach Cormac O’Donoghue has been relying on just seven or eight players in recent weeks which means that his key players have been playing additional minutes. It has been a long season so O’Donoghue would no doubt prefer to rest players where appropriate but it appears as though his hands are tied at this juncture.

There doesn’t appear to be a quick fix for the Lakers as the players who have dropped out appear unlikely to return in the near future. If guys have other commitments with work etc. that’s fair enough but you have to wonder how you can start with a squad of 13 or 14, win a bunch of games to put yourself in contention, and then end up losing five or six players halfway through the campaign.

Whatever the reasons behind it, the club will surely need to do a better job of holding onto their players moving forward.

Tomorrow night’s opponents are currently fourth in the north so it’s looking like the playoffs are just out of reach, but the Dubliners are sure to provide another tricky test for the home team.

Former Lehigh forward Justin Goldsborough (pictured) and Ukrainian Alex Dolenko will require special attention if the Lakers are to prevail.

Pic: Eamonn Keogh