Flournoy’s aiming to make amends

May 2 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

FAB Flournoy believes his Newcastle Eagles are in perfect shape to atone for last year’s play-off nightmare – a weekend that still leaves the New Yorker feeling sick to his stomach.

With just one defeat in their last 19 games, the all-conquering Eagles are fine form as they look to end a superlative season by capturing a third trophy of the campaign.

With Tafari Toney, BBL player of the season Trey Moore and Reggie Jackson all hitting form at the right time, the Eagles are short odds to add play-off glory to the league and Trophy already won this season.

But while Flournoy (pictured right) retains confidence in the ability of his tightly-knit group of players to progress past Plymouth Raiders in today’s semi-final, his experience of the same tournament last year ago will protect against complacency.

The Newcastle side flopped at last year’s final four, although there were of course mitigating factors behind the team’s failure to progress to the Sunday showpiece.

As well as the unsettling presence of Steve Leven in the locker room, Flournoy was struck down by stomach bug gastroenteritis and hospitalised just 24 hours before the team took on MK Lions in their semi-final game. He played but was under-par, and the Eagles tumbled out of a competition they were heavily backed to win.

Flournoy is keeping his fingers crossed that Lady Luck will be kinder to the Eagles today.

“I won’t be talking to the players about that too much – they don’t want to hear that sob story,” he said.

“It was not a good day for me, though. I had been fighting a hamstring injury for most of the season but the day before the semi-final I was on a hospital drip with gastroenteritis and the doctors advised me not to play,” he said. “I played at less than 50% because we were low on numbers and the other team was able to focus in on our problems.

“Lynard (Stewart) was out in the first quarter of the basketball game – he fell. We had to battle through a lot.

“I’m not using that as an excuse – because in the history books, it just says we lost.

“Building up to that weekend, there was a lot that went on that meant we didn’t get the win.

“But even in the game we had the chance – there was a minute left, we were down by one and we had the ball. But Charles missed the shot.

“I went back to the hospital afterwards and was in again overnight – let’s hope that doesn’t happen again. Keep the Swine Flu away from me and I don’t want to be eating any food that might get me ill!”

Barring any late setbacks, the Eagles will field the same team for the Plymouth semi-final game that has swept all before them in recent months.

The Eagles will take Stewart to Birmingham but he is unlikely to be risked as Flournoy continues to play it safe with his star forward.

Instead the Eagles’ player-coach will lean heavily on Jackson and Toney, who have made a massive impact in their first terms in the BBL, and player of the season Moore.

“I was happy for Trey, he has been outstanding all year.

“He’s settled in well and become part of the team, because this really has been a team effort and everyone has plugged into what we are trying to do,” he admitted.

“You might get sick of hearing it from one player to the next but the truth is that we are a team – we’re united. We have stand-out players but we’re a unit and there is no animosity or egos in this squad.”