Strong-arm tactics

From www.timesonline.co.uk
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Great Britain fell victim to strong-arm tactics from Belarus and weak officiating as the first half of their European Championship promotion campaign ended with a wasted opportunity to top the group at Sheffield on Saturday.

Behind for the majority of the game, Chris Finch's team still had the opportunity to win, having the last possession with seven seconds remaining. But captain Andrew Sullivan and veteran Roger Huggins missed tough shots on a poorly-executed offence to leave GB (2-2) a win behind Belarus in Holland (3-1) at the top of their promotion group.

"We don't like making excuses but that was more like a WWE wrestling match, the refs lost it," said Sullivan. "You shouldn't have to worry about an opponent trying to deliberately hurt you and ruin your season but that's what it was like out there.

"But it still a very wide open group, there is no clear cut leader running away with it, and we feel we can still win it. With the intensity and the effort these guys showed this month, and the possibility of a couple of additions, there is no reason we can't go 4-0 next year."

Sullivan, who joins Spanish club Badalona today, finished with an impressive 18 points and was the inspiration behind GB hauling themselves back from a deficit that had reached 10 points by the end of the first period. But the former Newcastle Eagle also demonstrated his weak area, missing seven of nine free-throws.

As had been the case in Britain 's previous three games, they displayed tenacious defence, holding Belarus scoreless for 5:12 over the first quarter break to take their first lead at 25-24, but offensive shortcomings were always all too apparent - Steve Hansell and Nate Reinking, with 10 each, were the only other players on double figures.

Nevertheless, having started the programme from scratch after the home nations merged this summer, Finch rightly felt pride in his team's achievements. He said: "I told these guys in the locker room that a lot of things have been said about the future, particularly 2012.

"We don't know where we're going to be next week, let alone next year or six years down the line. But the best, biggest and most important first steps in this programme have been taken by these guys this year. Wherever the sport is in the future, a big debt it owed to them."

Britain must win promotion to Europe's A Division when the group concludes in September 2007 to prove they are worthy of a place as hosts at the 2012 Olympics and Finch could have the luxury of calling upon as many as seven elite players, absent through injury or because of pressure from their domestic clubs, next season, including the Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng who currently awaits a British passport.