Newcastle Eagles coach Flournoy plays down revenge talk

BBL TROPHY SEMI-FINAL FIRST LEG
Venue: John Amaechi Centre, Manchester Date: Wednesday, 26 January
Tip-off: 2000 GMT

By Matt Newsum
BBC Sport

Flournoy led Eagles to BBL Trophy final success in 2010

Newcastle Eagles player-coach Fab Flournoy has refuted talk of revenge against Mersey Tigers ahead of the BBL Trophy semi-final double-header.

Eagles have been on a run of eight straight wins since their 114-85 league defeat by Tigers in November.

"People will talk about revenge, and that our last loss was to them," Flournoy told BBC Sport.

"But we were a different team then, we weren't playing with the rhythm we're playing with now."

Flournoy added: "We weren't playing with the composure and confidence that we are now, and that will play a part.

"They're going to be playing well because they lost in the Cup final, and they have so many of our ex-players.

"They have Tony Garbelotto the ex-coach, Terry Lawson, Andrew Sullivan and Tafari Toney, so both our teams have a camaraderie with each other.

"It's going to be an interesting basketball game because of the fact we have such vested interests with one another and we speak."

The two sides are tightly matched, with just four points separating the two teams at the top of the BBL Championship, and have met frequently in knockout competitions during the last few seasons.

Holders Eagles have had the upper hand against their opponents in the trophy, winning the competition last season after easing Tigers out at the same stage, to record a fourth BBL Trophy win in six years, and a 13th honour in total in the same period.

Mersey are in our way so we know we have to go through them to win something this season

Fab Flournoy

However, the Merseysiders have already recorded a significant scalp against Flournoy's side, having overcome the Tynesiders en route to the BBL Cup final.

"It's a long tradition for us, and we would like to continue that tradition and more importantly we want to win a piece of silverware," Flournoy added.

"This is the next one up for grabs, and Mersey are in our way so we know we have to go through them to win something this season.

"It happened that way in the Cup, and we got knocked out in the semi-finals and it's going to be that way in the Trophy, and it'll probably come down to us in the league and in the play-offs as well.

"At some point in time, these titans are going to clash."