Mark Scannell: Glanmire deserve more respect

By John Coughlan

Ambassador UCC Glanmire coach Mark Scannell believes his side will be ready for tomorrow’s top of the table clash in the Women’s Superleague against Liffey Celtics in Cork.

It was a stressful summer of upheaval for the Cork club as their squad was decimated with internationals Gráinne Dwyer and Claire Rockall both departing.

Prior to this coach Scannell had indicated he was taking a break from the club but as the weeks ticked down to the start of the new season he returned in their hour of need.

“I genuinely wanted a break but the club simply couldn’t get a suitable replacement and I found it hard to refuse when they needed somebody to steer the ship.”

Coach Scannell’s first job was putting a team together and with experienced campaigners Aine McKenna, Casey Grace and Miriam Loughrey forming the nucleus, they have yet to taste defeat in this campaign.

In the words of Scannell his club have somehow never got the credit they deserve for their successes over the last decade.

“Let’s put the record straight we are the reigning Women’s Super League champions and Liffey Celtics won the regular season title.

“There are people in basketball who tend to forget what we have won and given to the sport in this country over many years and I think it’s about time they gave us the respect we deserve.”

Looking ahead to the Liffey Celtics clash coach Scannell believes his side will have it all to do to keep their unbeaten record intact.

“We have yet to lose but with no disrespect to those teams (we’ve beaten) they are nowhere near as good as this Liffey Celtics team are and we will have to be at our very best even to compete with them,” concluded Scannell.

It has also been confirmed that former Glanmire captain Marie Breen has returned to the squad and could figure in this game.

In the Men’s Super League there are some interesting games with the Dublin derby between Pyrobel Killester and Templeogue topping the bill.

Templeogue have been rocked in the last fortnight with defeats to UCC Demons and DCU Saints and coach Mark Keenan is hoping his side will be ready for this tough fixture.

Playing Killester in Clontarf is always tough and hopefully my players will rise to the challenge as we need to stop the rot.

UCC Demons after their away defeat to Griffith College Swords Thunder are back in the capital for a battle of the colours clash with the champions UCD Marian.

Demons’ American Brandon Watts has been inconsistent this season and will need to improve on his seven point tally against Swords Thunder for his team to get anything from this game.

Garvey’s Tralee Warriors were stunned into submission when losing at home to Belfast Star and tomorrow they head to Galway to play Maree.

Warriors will be determined to avoid consecutive defeats and the class of Paul Dick and Kieran Donaghy may see them returning to winning ways.

Leaders Belfast Star will be expected to extend their winning run when they host Moycullen at De La Salle.

The northerners are taking the league by storm with 17 year old C J Fulton showing maturity beyond his years much to the surprise of his father and coach Adrian.

Fulton said: “I don’t think that C J would have been given the amount of court time if the Quinn brothers (Aidan and Conor) had been fully fit but he has adapted well in our hour of need.”

C & S Neptune gained their first win of the season against Maree and he will be hoping for a repeat performance away to Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin.