Write a commentA narrow win away to Queens, Belfast say Newry Fliers U16 boys got their new season off to a flying start in what was to be an exciting and intense opener.
Having won possession, the Fliers opened scoring early on with the hard work of post player Niall Traynor proving advantageous in the first few minutes. The Fliers used this confidence boost to settle their nerves and they continued with some excellent work on offence, led by point guard Conor Mathers. Mathers moved the ball well, seeing gaps on the court to allow Riley Murphy to score three jump shots in quick succession.
At the other end of the court the new zone defence, which the Fliers have been developing in preseason, seemed to be working well, as Queens struggled to get near the basket to attack. The enthusiasm and communication between the Newry boys forced Queens to take outside shots, mostly falling short and allowing the visiting side to take an early 4-13 lead.
Fresh legs in the second quarter should have seen another surge from the Fliers as they continued on the attack. However, it was Queens who gained the advantage before the half, with their tall post players cleaning up on rebounds and points under the basket. Despite this, the Fliers settled themselves and early nerves disappeared as the team came together, stopping Queens from scoring any more points in the quarter.
At the other end of the court Newry were having no luck despite the best efforts of Farron O’Hare and Ross Fegan at the top of the key. The perseverance of game MVP Kaylem McShane gave the Fliers a breakthrough in the dying minutes, with four points, to keep the Newry boys in a narrow but vital 10-17 lead.
The second half saw both teams put on their strongest players as the battle heated up with both sides fighting for the coveted first win. Newry had the upper hand in the third quarter with the combination of Mathers and Traynor working wonders to give the Fliers an 8 point lead going into the final seven minutes.
The final quarter was set to be an intense battle and it failed to let spectators down. Despite Queens now looking like the underdog, they were by no means down and out as they tightened up their defence and applied a press in their own half of the court. The Fliers did well to deal with this, with all players working together to get the ball across half court. Though having jumped over the most difficult hurdle, the Fliers were unable to do anything with the ball and Queens pounced on this, converting rebounds and turnovers to points and clawing the game back to a mere 4 point gap.
With 90 seconds left on the clock the win was for the taking by either side. Despite the tremendous efforts of Queens, the Fliers worked together as a team, holding on to the game and taking a deserved win.
Final Score: Queens 28 Newry Fliers 32
Newry Fliers: N.Traynor 12, R.Murphy 6, C.Mathers 5, K.McShane 4, F.O’Hare 2, D.O’Hare 2, C.Crawley 1, N. Reavey, R.Fegan, O.Pentony, C.Brolly, D.O’Shea.
