[29 OCT 09] CRUSADER NEWS

 Bristol Academy Flyers

Match Preview

Bristol Academy Flyers vs. Coventry Crusaders

Venue: Coventry Sports Centre , Fairfax Street, Coventry, CV1 5RY.

When: Saturday 31^st October 2009

Tip Off: 7:30pm

Competition: EBL Division One

By Adam Manning

Coventry Crusaders open their league campaign on Saturday still searching for their first win of the season against familiar opposition.

The Crusaders have experienced a challenging five game winless work out during their National Trophy campaign, which has seen the side unable to take the initiative while on top of games. Recent games at home to Taunton and away at Bristol have seen the team lose their lead in the last seconds to compound a rocky start which earlier on saw Crusaders go out to lower league Birmingham Mets in the National Cup.

Last week Neely’s men held the lead with less than ten seconds to go, only to fall foul to alert rebounding from Bristol, while the week before Taunton pounced on a slip from John Olinger to snatch a one point win at the Sports Centre.

A transitional Crusaders side has been in with a numerical chance of winning all the games though, having held the lead in all of their matches to date and is something that reinforces Will Bastin’s belief that his new side will begin to show some points for the team’s performances.

And the pre season acquisition, who plays the guard position, is confident that side’s attitude will go a long way to getting their league campaign off to winning start for only the second time in five years.

He said ahead of the game: “We’re massively under sized for a Division One team, but having said that we’ve still managed to compete with teams that are a lot physically stronger than us”.

 “I think that speaks a lot for the passion and the intensity that the team’s bringing to the games, because teams like that can mentally get you down at the start of the game. So I think we’re playing well as a team in passages, but it’s just knocking out those areas where we’re having a few faults and if we can iron out those creases where we’ve had a lapse in concentration then I think we can take it to them”.

“The mentality of the team is really good, and I think that’s what’s going to help us as the season progresses.”

Small mistakes seem to be the most costly ones of late, which have consequently dumped the team out of two competitions with the season only a month old, but Bastin echoes his manager’s sentiments of patience and development having witnessed the diversely enjoyable training sessions.

“We know where we’ve got to improve, and I think that people are bringing good stuff to each session and really giving it their all”.

“There’s consistency in terms of building up what the players are and running drills for people that are on the same page. We’re putting in new drills and practices, but we’re carrying them on in different sessions so it’s not like each session is brand new, which is good, but there is new elements being added all the time, and the intensity is good as well”.

“Obviously the Trophy is an important aspect of the campaign, but it is always a good learning curve at the start of the season, and especially as we’ve had quite a few new faces . I’m obviously still learning how people play as well, and I feel that I’m definitely a lot better than I was from the first game”.

Bastin also found praise for his team mates, and believes the squad has already shown its potential to play off one another.

“John Olinger didn’t have his usual thirty point game at the weekend, but then other people stepped up” joked the 23 year old Birmingham graduate.

“Dave Edden had a really good game, and that’s what makes a difference. The depth of the team is good, which is a good catch for us to have because if you’ve only got a couple of people to rely on, then that’s when teams are going to struggle”. 

Bristol will have a spring in their step when they turn up at the Sports Centre on Saturday after coming off the back of two straight home wins from a weekend double header against Crusaders and Plymouth Marjons in the National Cup 2^nd round.

Flyers were able to showcase their American pairing of 6’8 top scoring forward Dough McLaughlin Williams, who had a spell with the side toward the back of last season, and 6’9 centre Davis Bowen in front of their home crowd, who were celebrating their refurbished capacity increase to 800 at the WISE Campus.

Andreas Kapoulas will bring a fully fit squad to the Coventry Sports Centre, making for a highly competitive game. Statistics show that we’re in for a lot of baskets, with meetings between the two sides conjuring up an average of 154 points per game.

This will be the ninth meeting between the two sides in three years, with Bristol winning six to Coventry’s two.    

Danger Men

Crusaders’ Olinger holds 120 with Dave Edden 71 behind after five games, McLaughlin Williams has posted 65 in three games and faces stiff competition from captain Greg Streete who has notched 55 in three games.

Crusaders team to face Bristol: 4 Joe Francombe (guard); 5 John Olinger (c) (guard);

6 Tim Donaldson (point guard); 8 Will Bastin (guard); 9 Dan Taylor (guard/forward);

10 Simon Payne (guard/forward); 11 Stephen Danso (guard); 12 Dave Edden (forward);

13 Ryann Samuel (forward); 14 Kane Hudson (guard).

 

Bristol: 4 Rob Loftman (guard); 5 Ire Omoyeni (guard); 6 Jack Stannard (guard);

7 Doug McLaughlin-Williams (forward); 8 Tony Watson (guard); 9 Asa Waite (guard);

10 Mike Gregory (guard); 11 Greg Streete (c) (guard); 12 Tony Berry (centre);

13 Enrique Garcia (forward); 14 Tom Hutchinson (centre); 15 Davis Bowen (forward).

 

Ticket Prices: Adults £6.00, Concessions £4.00 (Children, OAP's & Students)

£1.00 further discount to Students with a Splat Card

Note: Students must produce a valid Student Card or Splat Card.

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