Portlaoise clinch crucial victory over Glanmire in their bid to reach Super League play-offs

The Address UCC Glanmire 68 

Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers 69 

MIDLANDS Park Portlaoise Panthers snatched the inside track ahead of Catalyst Fr. Mathews and Utility Trust St. Paul’s in the battle for play-off qualification in this season’s Domino’s Women’s Super League after they edged a thrilling one-point victory over The Address UCC Glanmire at Mardyke Arena on Sunday afternoon.

An Amy Dooley free throw was all that separated the two sides at the final buzzer, but it’s a victory that could very well see Portlaoise finish among the top eight teams who advance on through to the play-offs.

Apart from a few brief spells during which they pulled level, Panthers trailed their Cork rivals right up until deep into the fourth quarter when a Jessica Fressle bucket saw them edge in front with 2:35 left on the clock.

DelJanae Williams restored parity by way of a fine effort from beyond the arc with 21 seconds remaining, but that was still enough time for Dooley to draw an infringement down the other end and, crucially, convert one of the resulting two free throws to clinch the narrowest of victories.

That result sees the Laois side up to seventh in the table with two tough games remaining away to Trinity Meteors next Saturday and at home to table toppers, SETU Waterford Wildcats the following week.

Jessica Fressle played a huge part in Sunday’s dramatic triumph, picking up 25 points, while Lynn Tunnah served up 15, with Alyssa Velles just one less, while also combining with Dooley for 24 rebounds.

“It was an unbelievable result for the girls after last week’s disappointing game at home [to Utility Trust St. Paul’s],” said Portlaoise head coach, Peter O’Sullivan.

“They executed much better throughout and played savage defence down the stretch.

“We’ve another tough game in Trinity next weekend, but the girls can be extremely confident after such a gritty away performance,” he insisted.

It was certainly not the ideal start for Portlaoise at Mardyke, as they shipped the opening seven points, Aine McKenna landing two early three pointers either side of the one she picked up from the free-throw line.

Yet with less than five minutes gone, Panthers were back on level terms at nine points apiece, Fressle opening their account with a deuce before Tunnah struck from beyond the arc and Dooley in the paint.

It remained tight up until the closing two minutes of that period when Portlaoise gave up three quick turnovers and DelJanae Williams picked up five points, with Claire O’Sullivan also getting in for a bucket to see the hosts take a 25-17 lead into the second quarter.

Portlaoise, however, managed to serve up a seven-point run of their own to help restore parity at 27 apiece, Shauna Dooley executing from both sides of the arc before Velles also delivered more goods from downtown.

But having worked their way back, Portlaoise afforded their opponents yet another seven-point surge over the closing three minutes of the first half, Trinity Oliver accounting for five while Williams got in for another deuce to see the hosts take a 38-31 cushion into the break.

Portlaoise struggled to eat into their opponents’ lead throughout the third, Glanmire managing to respond whenever the visitors served up a big score.

Velles held her nerve to drain three successive attempts from the free-throw line only to see Mia Furlong immediately cancel that out down the other when she executed from outside the arc.

And when Tunnah put up another big score from downtown, McKenna, this time, responded in kind for the Cork side before O’Sullivan got in for a late deuce that left Glanmire 53-45 in front by the end of the third.

Yet two quick threes by Tunnah and Ciara Byrne within the opening 30 seconds of the fourth had Portlaoise suddenly back breathing down the necks of their opponents.

An O’Sullivan basket helped Glanmire re-establish a six-point lead, but this time Panthers served up a nine-point surge, Fressle capping that run with an ‘and one’ that put them three points up with 2.19 left on the clock.

A Williams score off the arc levelled it back up a 68 points apiece, before Dooley drew a foul at the other end and drained one of her two free throws to nudge Portlaoise back ahead with 10 seconds left.

And while Glanmire did threaten a winner at the death, Dooley made a crucial block on Williams before Oliver missed her attempt in the paint as Panthers held out for a massive win in the context of their play-off ambitions.

THE ADDRESS UCC GLANMIRE: DelJanae Williams, Aine McKenna, Sinead O’Reilly, Claire O’Sullivan, Annaliese Murphy, Mia Furlong, Miriam Loughrey, Lucy Walsh, Emer Dunne, Trinity Oliver.

Top Scorers: Trinity Oliver (19), Aine McKenna (12), Claire O’Sullivan (12), DelJanae Williams (10).

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

Top Scorers: Jessica Fressle (25), Lynn Tunnah (15), Alyssa Velles (14).