[25 FEB 10] CRUSADER NEWS

 Manchester Magic Match Preview

Coventry Crusaders vs. Manchester Magic

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

When: Saturday 27th February 2010

Tip Off: 7:30pm

Competition: EBL Division One

By Adam Manning

COVENTRY Crusaders head into their penultimate home game of the season after a two week break looking to turn over a fourth placed Manchester Magic side for the first time since the 2005/6 season.

Yet captain John Olinger believes the two week break given to reflect upon recent performances will only “inspire” the players to end a run of four straight league defeats, including “ a couple of frustrating losses” against Taunton and London Mets two weeks ago.

Manchester have also faltered in the league of late, losing their last three league games to relinquish third spot to Division One debutants Leicester Warriors last weekend from fruitless encounters with Derby Trailblazers and Warriors themselves.

Magic also have a National Trophy final in London on Sunday against the Mets, a tournament they have never won before, and Olinger rejected suggestions those sort of distractions for the opposition would make the game easier for Crusaders.

“The thing about Manchester is they’re gamers, and they don’t want to lose” said Olinger, who against Mets and for the first time this season wasn’t one of Crusaders’ top three scorers. “They’re not going to take it easy because they want to win the National Trophy. It may be in the back of their coach’s mind, but in general they want to win everything and so they’re going to do whatever it takes.”

 “I hope we’ll do the same and I think it’ll be a good game, hopefully this break where we’ve had to sit and think about the past couple of frustrating losses will inspire us and give us that added fire heading into the final stretch, starting against Manchester this weekend” he added.

Manchester witnessed some magical offensive exploits by their captain Stefan Gill last weekend, who weighed in with a 79 total. And as the stats show that Coventry’s defence has leaked an average of 93 points and lost by 21 points in the past four games, head coach Neely is aware of what his side will have to do to win the game.

Neely said: “Manchester have been a great transition team over the past couple of years and we'll really need to get back on defence well in order to make them face us and not get easy looks. Much of that will depend on us playing well offensively and getting quality shots and drawing fouls."

Preparation for the game hasn’t been ideal as Crusaders’ temporary move away from the Grace Academy, which is their normal training venue, has meant that only last Monday and Thursday has Scott Neely been able to put his side through their paces around the city. 

Monday saw the side train at Woodlands School in Tile Hill and on Thursday they paid a visit to Caludon Castle school in Wyken. Neely said that while Kane Hudson had returned to the squad in Crusaders’ last two games, he still isn’t fully fit after injuring his ankle in a Coventry University match back in mid January, so is expected to play a limited role this weekend.

Elsewhere Neely expects 17-year-old Ben Timms to return to the squad after missing the past two games due to academic commitments.

“Ben Timms also trained this week and we'll continue to check his progression and see if he's good to go this weekend" he confirmed.

Crusaders team expected to face Manchester:  4 Joe Francombe (guard);

5 John Olinger (c) (guard); 7 Matt Smith (power forward),

9 Dan Taylor (guard/forward); 10 Simon Payne (guard/forward);

11 Stephen Danso (guard); 12 Dave Edden (forward); 13 Ryann Samuel (forward);

15 Ben Timms (centre/forward).

 

 

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