The Taunton Tigers senior men 1st team opened their 2009–10 National League season with a narrow loss in Division 1, 72 – 76 against Derby Trailblazers at the Wellspring Leisure Centre.
You can watch the full game video here or View it on Vimeo. The match report continues below.
With both teams under pressure to get their league season off with a win, the start was somewhat tentative, but it was the visitors who first declared their intent with a run of 4 long range shots with Simon Allaway and Matt Shaw showing the way and Allaway draining another two with 3 minutes to go 12 – 7 up in the opening quarter. Joe Madourie added a pair from inside with less than a minute to go and move the Trailblazers 9 points ahead before Yabsley reduced the deficit by 5 before the end.
Some determined play by the Tigers saw them claw-back another couple of points before Yabsley made it all square at 18 – 18. Derby went ahead again but some strong play by Rich Anderson and Yabsley again reduced the difference to 2 points. However, the closing 2 minutes of the quarter saw another 7 point unanswered run by Derby to put them 11 points ahead at the half-time break.
Despite Allaway draining another 3 at the start of the third, Tigers fought back with a 13 – 2 run with Tim Clifford getting the last 7 points with two 3s and a 2 to get the home side within a single point of the visitors at 43 – 44 and the home crowd on their feet. Some further strong offence by Rickwood, Clifford and Anderson helped the Tigers edge ahead and maintain a slender 53 – 51 lead at the end of the quarter.
After the quarter break, Derby applied more pressure which seemed to unnerve the younger Taunton side. Two 3s from Matt Shaw helped the visitors to reverse the situation in a 10 – 3 run, putting them 7 points ahead, before Andrews responded with the first of his three 3s in the quarter. It was effectively game-over when the visitors continued the pressure in a 9 – 0 run. However, the Tigers' and home crowd's hope was restored when Andrews drained two successive 3s but time was running out — despite the visitors only netting two of their 8 free throws in the final minute and Clifford adding another 3 before the final whistle.
After the game Tigers Head Coach Tom Kambouris suggested that it was the greater experience of the Trailblazers that won them the game.
“I give Derby all the credit. Their senior players executed when it mattered, although I thought we played well enough to win. The difference in the game was execution under pressure.”
Next Saturday they host London Leopards with a 6.30pm tip at Wellsprings. The following day they travel to Bristol hoping to win through to the last eight in the National Cup against local rivals Flyers.