KESTRELS HEAD BACK TO PLAYOFF FINAL FOR 3RD CONSECUTIVE SEASON AFTER WIN OVER BARKING ABBEY

Image Courtesy of Dan Crowther

The Kestrels reach the NBL Division One Men's Play-Off Final with a 65-50 victory over Barking Abbey at the Solent Sports Complex. Matt Guymon’s side will play against Worcester Wolves on the 26^th of April after they defeated Manchester Magic on the other side of the draw, this will be the third consecutive playoff final for the Kestrels.

A leading 19 points by the ever-consistent double A battery, Andre Arissol alongside a decisive 12 on the scoreboard by Ethan Round confirmed the win for the Kestrels.

Both Barking and the Kestrels had become well acquainted over recent years in the NBL structure and this season was no different, with both sides claiming a win over the other during the regular season, so there was bound to be some tension.

That was instantly confirmed by a foul each way within a matter of seconds, Jakub Ofman picking up a foul after fighting for a loose ball from the tip off. The young wing put that behind him on the very next possession draining a long 2-point shot that brought the Kestrels’ Family to their feet in the Complex for the first time of many during the 40-minute ball game.

The youth on display from both teams would make the difference, with many inexperienced players trusted to play considerable minutes off of the bench. A key player for Barking trusted to start, Kervy Mabaya looked energetic early and was aggressive finding his spots on the offensive end.

Rebounding was a clear strong suit of the Kestrels on the day, fighting for offensive boards to allow for strong looks and second chance points. One of the players that benefitted from this was Greg Durand, knocking down the first three point shot of the evening. Neither team settled into their offensive possessions, with occasional rushed play and hard defence on both ends… the result?

Free throws for starters, but also a game that would be decided by each team’s defence.

Kestrels crept into a lead, capitalising on Barking fouls to make use of free throw opportunities, Ofman making it 10-6 halfway through the first quarter. Despite a slow start by his standards, Arissol knocked down a two-point jumper to extend that lead and build the momentum for the home side. Wayne Kitenge’s rebounding ability continued the Kestrels’ success on the offensive glass but the big also provided scoring, tipping in from close range off an Arissol missed shot.

With a 17-10 lead to end the opening quarter, the Kestrels were by no means in control, as the game continued to be scrappy and a battle for every rebound. To open the second period, neither team found the bottom of either basket, with fouls both ways and a number of missed shots.

The energy inside the Complex was brought to their feet once again after a comfortable seated portion with both teams going scoreless, as Ash Briggs scored a strong and-1 lay-up on Kervy Mabaya, to the delight of the Kestrels’ bench. Arissol maintained the strong leader’s performance with two made free throws to continue adding to the box score.

Briggs was the offensive driving force during the second quarter for the Kestrels, utilising the younger defenders in the paint to give Solent their first double digit lead at 26-16 with five minutes left in the half. Barking struggled to find a direct response, with another scoreless minute and a half from both teams, not without shots flying from across the floor. All of this amounted to a comfortable lead at the half, 33-19, as Kestrels contained Barking to just nine points in the second quarter and doing a great job of limiting Joshua Mendes, Barking’s main offensive threat to just two points in the first half.

The momentum, however, swung in favour of Barking in the third quarter, outscoring the Kestrels 15-6 and the driving force of that run was the youthful scoring of Mendes and Oskaras Visockas pulling it back to single digits. The physical nature of the game had taken its toll, Mabaya found himself in foul trouble heading into the final ten minutes and the presence of mind of Arissol on defence to claim a charge, sending Mabaya back to the bench after fouling out of the game.

Lovely inter-play from the double-A battery and Briggs ended in a clinical finish, but Mendes immediately responded with a tough move. However, it was then in which the Kestrels found consistent jump shot looks, but more importantly, makes. An Ofman three and a Round neat reverse layup got the crowd to raise onto both feet once again.

Mendes made it as difficult as possible for the Kestrels to settle into a rhythm by responding with a three of his own from the corner. Another barrage of two more Mendes masterful makes, including a three-pointer over the outstretched arm of Wayne Kitenge brought the game to 55-46 with four minutes left in the game.

Despite the Mendes strong final quarter, scoring 12 of Barking’s 16 points in the final quarter, the Kestrels closed the game out with well drilled offensive sets, finding their shots and fighting through contact. By no means the perfect game for the Kestrels, but an important win nonetheless and perhaps their most complete defensive performance of the year powering them to victory.

Box Score - FIBA LiveStats

Having already clinched the league and National Cup double, the Kestrels have now booked a ticket to the final in Manchester to face the Worcester Wolves, where they will look to complete an impressive treble. We need as many voices behind the team as possible up north, so get your tickets here - NBL Senior Playoff Finals 2025/26 - Sunday, 26 April 2026 – Basketball England Shop.