Resurgent Liffey Celtics face tough Killester test in final

It was a tale of two contrasting semi-finals as Killester and Liffey Celtics secured their spots in this year's Paudie O’Connor National Cup decider.

The Leixlip-based Celtics made their intentions clear from the opening buzzer against the Waterford Wildcats last weekend as they raced into a double-digit lead inside the first quarter.

And Karl Kilbride’s side never looked back as they maintained a healthy lead throughout with captain Áine O'Connor leading by example with 20 points, while Sorcha Tiernan proved strong in defence and contributed 14 points in the 25-point victory.

Reigning Super League champions, Killester, on the other hand, made hard work of their attritional victory over Kerry outfit St Paul’s, eventually securing a one-point victory at Neptune Stadium.

The Dublin side found themselves nine points in arrears during the first half, however, a strong start to the third quarter saw them hit 12 points unanswered to edge in front.

But it remained tight throughout the second half and it all came down to two Samantha Haiby free throws in the final moments to secure the 70-69 victory for Mark Grennell’s side.

It’s a clean slate, however, for Sunday’s final at the National Basketball Arena as two of the country's top teams meet for the mid-season silverware.

Liffey Celtics currently lead the way in the Super League, while Killester are in third place, however, it is the Dublin club who enjoy the head-to-head bragging rights after coming out on top in their incredibly close league clash earlier this season.

Killester also proved victorious when the two sides met in last season’s Super League play-off to land the title, romping to a 90-62 victory at the National Basketball Arena in March.

Liffey Celtics, however, are a team