THE newly installed Irish women's team coach, Gerry Fitzpatrick, completes one of the most significant weeks of his coaching career tomorrow.
Just days after his national appointment was confirmed, Fitzpatrick will be coaching his successful young Wildcats squad from the sideline, at the Mercy Convent in Waterford, in the final match of the Gateaux League season against joint bottom club Ballybunion. Victory, which looks inevitable, will give Wildcats the title for the second consecutive year.
In the corresponding fixture earlier in the season, Wildcats put on a typically ruthless display in Listowel to beat Ballybunion by exactly double scores, 84-42.
The imminent close of a triumphant season for Fitzpatrick means that he will soon be able to turn his attention to his new role. The Irish women's squad has suffered a long sequence of high profile defections over the past few years, most notably that of Wildcats centre Jillian Hayes.
Along with the Naomh Mhuire coach, Pat McKenna, who joins Fitzpatrick as assistant, he will be faced with the task of smoothing over the rifts of the past few seasons and trawling the country for new talent.
Meanwhile, in the mid table region of women's division one, there is a three cornered battle going on for the last remaining Top Four championship berth.
Tolka Rovers, who will claim fourth place in the table if they win away to Wexford tomorrow evening, are best positioned. However, if Wexford win, they could go through, depending on how Tralee fare away to Meteors.
In women's division two, there is a similar but simpler battle scheduled for Clontarf tomorrow night, with the winner of the Killester versus Sporting Belfast fixture claiming a Top Four championship place.
In the Budweiser Superleague, the jitters which struck title favourites Tralee will be tested to the utmost in Kerry tomorrow night by relegation threatened Ballina, who have won their last five games in a row, including three in the league. Remarkably, Ballina are still stuck in the second from bottom position and cannot afford to lose any games if they are to avoid the drop. The motivation and confidence of the cup winners these days makes them a match for any team in the league.
In the corresponding fixture earlier in the season, Ballina lost to Tralee, in Killala, 92-82, but on that occasion the Mayo club's two Americans, Jason Rub rite and Deora Marsh, amassed barely 30 points between them. Both men have been in much better form of late.
Should Tralee slip up, then Star of the Sea can make it a tic at the top, but only if they beat Killester in Clontarf tomorrow. Only a week ago, the Dubliners put a dent in Tralee's title hopes. They also need to beat Star to keep alive their own hopes of claiming a Top Four position.
