[07 DEC 09] CRUSADER NEWS

 Arrows Post Match Reaction

By James Bourne 

Coventry Crusaders’ head coach Scott Neely was visibly pleased with the victory over the Sheffield Arrows, but noted areas for improvement going into the two home games against the London Mets and London Leopards before the Christmas break.

Speaking after the game, Neely said: “It’s always good to get a win, even though I wasn’t necessarily happy with how many points we gave up, especially in the first half.

“But it’s good to get the monkey off our back, to get the win and hold on.”

Neely spoke in particular about the visitors’ ability to hit the rebound better than the Crusaders on the night.

“There were still too many times that Sheffield was coming in there, and that’s how they stayed with us, otherwise we could have been up by 20-25 points, but they were getting offensive rebounds, and it just can’t happen,” said Neely.

The Crusaders’ head coach, however, praised the players’ mentality in getting the win once they’d gained the lead.

Neely said: “What I told the guys at the end was that I was happy we played not to lose once we’d got the lead, that we played to win.

“We kept being aggressive, and taking on the shots we normally shoot, not holding back and trying to take care of the ball, and that’s when a lot of teams come back and get you.”

Sheffield head coach Pete Kelly was pragmatic about his side’s expectations following the defeat.

Kelly said: “We’re disappointed because I don’t think we brought anything like our best game. We didn’t compete hard enough, and that’s a disappointment.

“But we’re in it for the long term, we only have three players above 22, and today we never got to grips with the game. You can’t gain experience unless you’re in a situation.”

Kelly was also quick to praise the work put in by the Crusaders, and noted the similarities between the two teams in terms of their young squads.

Kelly said: “I take my hat off to Scott Neely’s Crusaders. They’ve had a tough time, but once they got in front, they really grabbed the enthusiasm of being in front, and they out-worked us.

“I like Coventry, I like what they’ve done. They’ve reduced the age of their team in the last couple of years, and they will have a bright future, like us.

“But like us, they’ll struggle, particularly away. You can see how well those guys can play when they get their confidence, but confidence has to be earned.”

                               

  Main Menu | News | Arrows Post Match Reaction   07 DEC 2009