Blazers targeting a Trophy glory day

DERBY Trailblazers are chasing their first silverware for eight years when they meet Team Newcastle in the L Lynch Trophy final tomorrow at Ponds Forge in Sheffield (noon).

The Trailblazers route to the final saw them beat defending champions Team Solent Kestrels with a blistering second half 92-77 in the semi-final, while Newcastle beat Reading Rockets 92-88.

Newcastle have also won the only league meeting with Derby this season, by 89-82.

Ronald Blain could be the man to watch for the Tynesiders, the 6ft 5in American having piled in 54 points in one game and 44 in another already this season.

Derby captain Malcolm Smith is an admirer but says the Blazers are up for the challenge.

“If he’s not the best player in the league, then he’s definitely in that conversation,” said Smith.

“They have a couple of other players who can really shoot well as well, so we do have our work cut out but we’re ready and we believe we can contain them.

“It’s a huge game and I’m excited for my team-mates, the supporters, the volunteers and everybody in the club.

“Just to be here is a great achievement but we want to go better than that by taking care of business.”

Smith has been there and done that, won the Division One title and the National Cup in 2017 with Team Northumbria.

“That was a great experience and I remember it very clearly,” he said.

“It was my first year in England and it was very similar to how I’m feeling now. We are so close with one another, which is very much like we were at Northumbria.

“Everyone wants to win the Trophy really badly, so hopefully we can get the job done.

“Our supporters were a huge factor in the semi-final and they really helped to bring us back into it from 17 points down. If they can repeat that and we reproduce the energy we had against Solent, I feel we have a real chance.”

For those who cannot attend, the Blazers’ progress in the game can be followed on YouTube at youtu.be/IF-Dolwai2g or through LiveStats: bit.ly/32ULpQM