Panthers outgun Fr. Mathews to return to winning ways in Super League

Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers 79 

Catalyst Fr. Mathews 65 

MIDLANDS Park Portlaoise Panthers ended a run of four straight defeats in Women’s Super League after they emerged 14-point winners from Saturday night’s clash with Catalyst Fr. Mathews in St Mary’s Hall.

Looking to hit the ground running on their return from a three-week break from competitive action, Portlaoise made an explosive start at the weekend, opening up a 26-11 lead over Fr. Mathews by the close of the first quarter.

The Cork side struggled to recover from that early onslaught as Panthers big hitters all delivered on the night, including top scorer, Alyssa Velles on 24 points and Jessica Fressle, who was back in the Panthers line-up for the first time since the end of November.

A delay in the processing of her visa meant the American power forward was left waiting to continue her season in Ireland and Panthers were without a key asset in their roster, as they suffered a string of disappointing defeats that resulted in them slipping back down to eighth place in the table.

Yet that losing streak was very much arrested on Saturday as Portlaoise sent Mathews home empty-handed, Fressle, herself, contributing 15 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in that win, while Amy Dooley and Lynn Tunnah also made a significant impact with a combined 25 points.

“It was a great victory for the girls,” smiled Peter O’Sullivan, who has taken charge of the Portlaoise team after Keith Conroy stepped down from the post during the week.

“They executed their offence very well and, defensively they were solid. They got off to a very good start and all the rotations that we got in all added something different when on the court. They just really clicked for the first time in a while,” he told the *****Laois Nationalist******.

Scores from both sides of the arc from Velles, together with a further deuce from Dooley, had Portlaoise seven points to the good before Fr. Mathews opened their account through Grainne Dwyer almost two minutes in.

A further eight-point run, that featured buckets down the lane by Dooley, Fressle and Tunnah, had Portlaoise in a very encouraging position that was only enhanced when Velles again struck from the perimeter and off the three-point line.

Fressle served up another bucket from the paint early in the second quarter to push Panthers’ lead out to 17 points, but a combined 12 from Dwyer and Kyra White helped Fr. Mathews cut that deficit to 13 (37-24) by the half-time recess.

However, a big three by Velles just 10 seconds into the third, suggested Portlaoise were not about to take their foot off their pedal, and so it proved, as Fressle put up eight in that period to leave an 18-point gap (59-41) separating the sides heading into the fourth.

The Cork side did recoup a little ground down the stretch, but a delightful three from Ciara Byrne, coupled with more buckets on the inside from Shauna Dooley, Holli Dunne and Amy Dooley helped ensure that Portlaoise’s hold on this game was never seriously threatened.

Panthers will be hoping to add another W to their record next Saturday when they go back on the road to face a University of Galway Mystics side that is desperately awaiting a first win this season, Panthers having beaten them by 12 points in the previous encounter back October.

While Mystics have been struggling badly this season, O’Sullivan insisted his players cannot take this challenge lightly, saying “There’s never an easy game in Galway.

“We’ve had our battles in National League and now in Super League, but we’re looking forward to the game, especially after the win over Fr. Mathews,” he added.

MIDLANDS PARK PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Holli Dunne, Shauna Dooley, Ciara Byrne, Megan Dunne, Lynn Tunnah, Jasmine Burke, Caoimhe Brophy, Jessica Fressle, Sarah Fleming, Amy Dooley, Alyssa Velles.

Top Scorers: Alyssa Velles (24), Jessica Fressle (15), Amy Dooley (14), Lynn Tunnah (11).

CATALYST FR. MATHEWS: Lesley Wilkinson, Danielle O’Riordan, Amy Murphy, Grainne Dwyer, Aisling McCann, Arianna Price, Ciara McCarthy, Mekeda Nicholas, Kyra White, Jessica O’Shea, Niamh Dwyer.

Top Scorers: Grainne Dwyer (16), Makeda Nicholas (14), Danielle O’Riordan (10), Niamh Dwyer (10).