Match Reports
The Co-operative Netball Superleague
Report: Mavericks v Team Bath
Venue: Herts Sports Village, Hatfield.
Time: Monday 16th March 2009 at 2000
Umpires: Kim Lumley, Kylie Woodhead and Janice Treasure
TV: Sky Sports Xtra 1700 - Thursday, 19th March, 2009.
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 8-17 |
| 2 | 18-28 |
| 3 | 35-41 |
| 4 | 46-55 |
| Full Time | 46-55 |
TeamBath's 55-46 victory over Mavericks in Hatfield has completed a perfect fixture run for the West Country side in the 2008-09 Co-operative Netball Superleague season - undefeated,16-wins and a maximum 32 points. Mavericks then in good company coming off second-best to the best and perhaps able to consider how the "Invincibles" can be beaten again. Oh yes they can lose - they did at this stage last year, to Mavericks if you remember who went on to take the title and as reigning champions now have a trophy and title to defend.
The home side was caught off guard by TeamBath's explosive start in front of another sell-out crowd. Both sides started competitively but Bath settled first and stormed into a 9 goal lead by the end of the first fifteen minutes. Eboni Beckford-Chambers and Stacey Francis in the Bath defence were able to keep Louisa Brownfield penned in.Ella Clarke was a little slow to start but grew in confidence as the match went on and will be a strength in the Mavericks line-up in the none to distant future.
The home-side certainly found their range in the second half - Brownfield and Clarke didn't miss a shot in the quarter which ramped up the already excitable atmosphere. But it was after half-time that Mavericks came back into the match Karen Atkinon's move to wing attack made a huge difference, her presence on the circle edge and familiarity with England partner Louisa Brownfield was a real banker. The shooter netted 15 of her 17 shots on goal, Clarke only had 3 chances but landed 2 of those.
TeamBath reshuffled for the final 15 minutes and produced a thrilling finish reacting quickly to the best Mavericks could thow at them. You can see how the undefeated team of the year (so far) did it in the TV replay on Thursday. " On the night Bath were sharp particularly in the first half. We stepped up the pace in the second half and as a neutral I'm it was a good game to watch. Maverick got within four and had an opportunity but passing errors meant we missed out.
With Jess Garland unwell, assistant coach Anna Mayes took the helm and was pleased with the performance "We had a great start and a great finish. Tactically Mavericks brought it to us in the third quarter but Team Bath dealt with the pressure well and responded in the right way."
TeamBath captain Pamela Cookey said "It was a very physical game, close fought but we managed to pull though which shows the strength of our squad."
So who will go on to be crowned this season's Co-operative Netball Superleague champions. Will Mavericks be able to defend their trophy? Could Loughborough Lightning at last take the title? What about Leeds Carnegie, the rookies? Or will it be the (so far) unbeateable TeamBath? You can hear the thoughts of England's Sonia Mkoloma, England legend Tracey Neville and the musings of England coach Sue Hawkins in a brand new podcast take a look www.thenetballpod.com.
Starting Lineup
Mavericks
GA: Ella Clarke
GS: Louisa Brownfield
WA: Gemma Wiseman
C: Karen Atkinson
WD: Stefania Bello
GD: Hazel Schofield
GK: Naida Hutchinson
Shooting statistics
Louisa Brownfield 35/40 = 83%
Ella Clarke 11//15 = 73%
TeamBath
GS: Rachel Dunn
GA:Pamela Coookey (capt)
WA: Sacha Corbin
C: Serena Guthrie
WD: Sara Bayman
GD: Eboni Beckford-Chambers
GD: Stacey Francis
Rachel Dunn 31/34 = 91%
Pamela Cookey 24/29 = 83%
Report: Celtic Dragons v Team Northumbria
Venue: Glyndwr University, Wrexham
Time: 14th March 2009 at 1300
Umpires: Tracy Smith, Louise Travis and Gary Burgess
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5-18 |
| 2 | 14-26 |
| 3 | 26-45 |
| 4 | 35-61 |
| Full Time | 35-61 |
Team Northumbria's captain Carla Dziwoki's been enjoying a flying finish to the season and crowned her last Co-operative Netball Superleague performance of the 2008-09 term with an excellent 95% success in the circle. It was a blazing start by Team Northumbria whose confidence was high following a great match with league leaders Bath last time out. The visitors were fast out of the blocks led by the skipper who netted 18 shots in the first quarter and barely slowed up in the match. Carla's heading down under for the ANZ season and is joining the Adelaide Firebirds in fine form.
Team Northumbria were not only impressive in attack but also dominant defensively. Goal-keeper Abi Ryan was able to provide some key turnovers from the first quarter on while centre Vicky Burgess helped ensure there was plenty of quality ball moving down the court.
Celtic Dragons had a nigh on impossible task to try and get the result that would lift them back off the bottom of the table, but the spirit that has served them well this season saw them fight back in the second quarter which they won 9-8.
Stepping up their efforts the visitors were lifted in the third quarter by Vicky Phillips. Dragons have had a bit of a week with injury robbing them of six squad members including skipper Sara Hale, who had a rather heavy landing in the televised game on Monday. She suffered cartilege damage to the knee, went under the knife on Thursday where the problem was repaired and she will hopefully make a speedy recovery.
Northumbria's entire bench took to the court and although a little shaky the last 15 minutes of the season saw some excellent performances from Emma Lower, Jenny Montgomery at wing-defence and Abi Ryan who moved to play at goal-defence. Celtic Dragons called up two players from their NTL squad Rebeccca Neate and Sammy Jo Williams who by playing with big sis Stephanie in defence became part of the Dragon's first sister act on court this season.
Coach Denise Egan thinks the team has made great strides forward: "I'm proud of the squad who have consolidated well through the season and seem to now be in control at key points of the game. Our progress made is tremendous albeit a little late but the team are as one and will only move forward next season for that play off position. Dziwoki has been a major asset and a most professional captain who has led by example."
Celtic Dragons coach Ian Root refused to be downcast about the result and was complimentary about their opponents "It was a good performance from Team Northumbria. They're a very tight outfit, they know where everyone's going to be and their imports also made a big difference. It was a resounding victory from a classy team particularly in attack. For us it wasn't all doom and gloom injuries meant we only had 9 of our 15 squad members fit and called up two "junior Dragons" who certainly weren't out of their depth - especially Sammy Jo Williams who played the whole game."
Starting Lineup
Celtic Dragons
GS: Chrissie Munroe
GA: Cara-Lee Moseley
WA: Kylie Painter
C: Susie Drain (capt)
WD: Sammy Jo Williams
GD: Stephanie Williams
GK: Lindsay Keable
Shooting Statistics
C Munroe 13/23 = 57%
C Moseley 13/22 = 59%
S Blucher 05/08 = 63%
R Neate 04/08 = 50%
Team Northumbria
GS: Carla Dziwoki (capt)
GA: Talai Bari
WA: Marie Ewing
C: Vicky Burgess
WD: Tessa Burton
GD: Natalie Connor
GK: Abi Ryan
Shooting Statistics
Carla Dziwoki 53/56 = 95%
Talei Bari 1/6 = 17%
Vicky Phillips 0/1 = 0%
Emma Lower 7/9 = 78%
Report: Northern Thunder v Glasgow Wildcats
Venue: Castle Leisure Centre, BuryTime: Saturday 14th March 2009 at 1600
Umpires: Chris Wilson-Smith, Margaret Deighan and Jo Kelly
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 17-02 |
| 2 | 29-13 |
| 3 | 42-21 |
| 4 | 52-35 |
| 5 | 52-35 |
Glasgow Wildcats could be forgiven for coming away from the Co-operative Netball Superleague clash with Northern Thunder ruing a missed opportunity. The home side was geared up for a flashy finale in front of a packed crowd and came on court meaning business as the first fifteen minutes showed. The Wildcats had plenty of possession, and even turnovers, in the opening quarter but could not beat Thunder's defence and get the ball into their shooters; seven shots yielded only 2 goals while at the other end 17 slipped through the hoop.
Changes were needed in the Glasgow line-up. Lesley Macdonald moved under the post and a complete rethink in the midcourt changes meant the arrival of Jenna Storie, Gail Higgins and Stephanie Docherty and that had the desired effect of slowing Thunder's run for the post and there was just one goal separating the sides in that 15 minute period.
Having stormed into a decisive lead so early on, Thunder had a comfortable cushion and were able to try different combinations of players and the depth in the squad showed as they held Wildcats with new players coming on the court.
Glasgow felt the benefits of their changes very quickly as the netball finally found its way into the shooters hands giving Lesley Macdonald and her strike force more opportunities and more goals. There were still unforced errors creeping in but as the game ticked into the second half Wildcats were just not quite able to close the damaging gap from the first quarter.
Credit to Wildcats debutant Laura Burton, England U21 but only 17. She came on in the final quarter and made a major impact in opening up play and nabbed a couple of key interceptions. It may be the first but won't be this young players last Superleague appearance.
Her skipper Lesley Macdonald was full of praise "We are really proud of Laura Burton's debut, she really lifted the team resulting in us winning the last quarter."
Glasgow Wildcats coach Denise Holland "After an extremely poor start we were able to regroup and contest in the final quarter, culminating in Laura Burton's debut and us winning the last quarter."
Northern Thunder captain Karen Greig said "We started the game dynamically and withstood Glasgow's pressure and maintain composure. It's a good finish to the season, and we take away a lot of positives for next season."
Starting Lineup
Northern Thunder
GS: Rachel Bramhall
GA: Karen Greig
WA: Rachel Henry
C: Helen Browne
WD: Bev Lovatt
GD: Kate Smith
GK: Kerry Almond
Shooting Statistics
Karen Greig 26/37 = 70
Alexa Collier 05/07 = 71%
Rachel Bramhall 13/18 = 72%
Krista Enziano 08/10 = 80%
Glasgow Wildcats
GS: Jennifer Dingwall
GA: Lesley MacDonald (capt)
WA: Gillian Douglas
C: Carlene Hamilton
WD: Claire Brownie
GD: Claire Cooper
GK: Hayley Mulheron
Shooting Statistics
L MacDonald 31/38 = 81%
J Dingwall 02/05 = 40%
G Higgins 03/08 = 38
Report: Loughbrough Lightning v Brunel Hurricanes
Venue: Netball Centre, Loughbrough University
Time: Saturday 14th March 2009 at 1800
Umpires: Debbie Morgan, Janice Treasure and A.Smith
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 11-6 |
| 2 | 24-13 |
| 3 | 34-24 |
| 4 | 48-33 |
| Full Time | 48-33 |
Brunel Hurricanes had to win this Co-operative Netball Superleague meeting with Loughborough Lightning to move level on points with Leeds Carnegie and above them on goal difference to fourth in table. But Lightning have only lost to Team Bath this season it was a record they weren't keen to relinquish. The first quarter was untidy with both sides trading turn-overs and misplaced passes, the home side though were first to settled and moved into a 5-goal lead by the end of the quarter. Hurricanes were blowing hot and cold, piling on the pressure in defence and then surrendering it before the attacking circle.
Loughborough pressed on in the second quarter after swapping Jo Harten out to goal attack, coach Olivia Murphy admitted they wanted to build on their lead because Brunel had a lot riding on the result and were perfectly able to come back at them. Hurricanes were not playing well and seemed rattled by the umpires rulings, their concentration slipped and they failed to make any inroads on the home side who were now in the swing of things. Patience was paying off for Lightning who were able to make the most of their possession, although towards the end of the quarter Brunel began to slow the ball up as they stepped up their challenge.
With an eleven goal lead after half-an-hour Loughborough were able to start thinking about the play-offs and mixed up the combinations of players. Olivia Murphy substituted herself, after a busy week on court and Emma Bliss took a little while to settle. That coincided with perhaps the best passage of play from the visitors who made things look simple for ten minutes, Vicklyn Joseph had found her range but it wasn't long before the team's concentration slipped again.
For the final quarter Alex Kirk came on to help Loughborough pick up the pace with her excellent rapport with Jo Harten proving trouble for Hurricanes' defence. As we've come to expect Harten played another impressive part in the game with her deft dodging but Natalie Hampshire and Jade Clarke can all be pleased with their performances.
Brunel Hurricanes coach Natalie Swift told us after the game "Loughborough were the better team on the day and fully deserve to be in the playoff. We weren't good enough today and our consistency under pressure has been our downfall throughout the second half of the season."
Olivia Murphy, who coaches Lightning and plays wing-defence was happy with the result and the attitude: "The team is really pleased to end the season with a good performance. I was pleased to get different combinations out ahead of the play-offs and we look forward to hard week of training ahead of the game with Team Bath next Monday week."
Starting Lineup
Loughborough Lightning
GS: Jo Harten
GA: Lisa Stephenson
WA: Natalie Hampshire
C: Jade Clarke (capt)
WD: Olivia Murphy
GD: Kara Luck
GK: Hannah Reid
Shooting Statistics
Jo Harten: 34/42 = 81
L Stephenson: 09/13 = 69
A Kirk: 5/5 = 100%
Brunel Hurricanes
GS: Vicklyn Joseph
GA: Asha Tett
WA: Chioma Matthews
C: Becky Nash (capt)
WD: Jamie Galley
GD: Sonia Mkoloma
GK: Sharon Smith
Shooting Statistics
V. Joseph: 18/28 = 64%
A. Tett: 03/07 = 43%
L. Press: 12/18 = 66%
Report: Mavericks v Loughborough Lightning
Venue: University of Hertfordshire, Sports Village, Hatfield
Time: Thursday 12th March 2009 at 2000... Att: 550 (sell-out)
Umpires: Judith Groves, Debbie King and Janice Treasure
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 7-14 |
| 2 | 12-26 |
| 3 | 24-37 |
| 4 | 36-43 |
| Full Time | 36-43 |
Another sell-out crowd at the Sports Village in Hatfield were in place to see Mavericks attempt to wrestle second place in the Co-operative Netball Superleague from visiting Loughborough Lightning.
This game is the another one re-scheduled following the snow in early February and with both teams guaranteed a place in the play-offs the result could decide who finished highest in the table. Mavericks tried to start the game with all guns blazing , Lightning's Jo Harten had other plans and by dominating possession with excellent execution took her side into a 7 goal lead after 15 minutes. There were no substitutions at the first break and that allowed the visitors to capitalise on their strengths in the next quarter leaving Loughborough 14 goals in front.
Changes to the Mavericks line-up at half-time were needed, Louisa Brownfield went into GS with Ella Clark coming on at GA. Naida Hutchinson, who had played well in the first half, excelled in the second by slowing down the amount of ball reaching Jo Harten; teamed with her timely interceptions and turnovers Mavericks came back into the match. Steph Bello and Gemma Wiseman also came on and the side were able to play with more width which helped the passing find its way down court.
You only have to take a brief look at the match statistics to see how Loughborough were able to collect their 13th win of the season. They were able to feed the highly accurate shooter Jo Harten more ball and that meant more goals - twice as many as their opponents in the first half. It was hard for Mavericks to claw back that kind of deficit in the end the team was able to net 36 from 45, they were more successful with their shots but simply by getting more attempts on goal Lightning's 65 shots were netted 43 times.
Mavericks assistant coach Maggie Jackson felt the result proved it was very much a match of two halves. "We felt there were too many personal errors in the first half. But the 2nd half shows however that Loughborough must be aware that Mavericks are able to come from behind. If Mavericks can sort out the errors then they can be a force to be reckoned with."
Starting Lineup
MavericksGS: Michelle Hall
GA: Louisa Brownfield
WA: Karen Atkinson
C: Camilla Buchanan
WD: Natalie Seaton
GD: Hazel Schofield
GK: Naida Hutchinson
SHOOTING STATS:
Michelle Hall 6/7 = 85%
Ella Clark 11/13 = 85
Louisa Brownfield 19/25 = 76%
Loughborough Lightning
GS: Jo Harten
GA: Alex Kirk
WA: Natasha Hampshire
C: Jade Clarke (capt)
WD: Olivia Murphy
GD: Kara Luck
GK: Hannah Reid
Shooting Statistics
Jo Harten 32/48 = 67%
Alex Kirk 11/17 = 64%
Round 15
Report: Glasgow Wildcats v Celtic Dragons
Venue: Kelvin Hall, Glasgow
Time: 1930
TV: 1800 Sky Sports Xtra and 2230 Sky Sports 2
Umpires: Ann-Marie Peacock, Tracey Smith with Anne Abraitis
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 12-3 |
| 2 | 23-8 |
| 3 | 32-20 |
| Full Time | 42-29 |
Glasgow Wildcats have scored a determined win over key rivals Celtic Dragon to leapfrog them and move off the bottom of the Co-operative Netball Superleague table.
Wildcats did the damage early on in the match flying into an 9 goal lead by the end of 15 minutes, the ever reliable Lesley Macdonald leading the attack that made he most of their 17 attempts on goal. At the other end the visitors were finding themselves on the wrong end of the whistle too much contact meant they only had 6 shots in the first fifteen minutes.
Glasgow pressed on in the second quarter although Celtic Dragons were able to up the amount of ball getting into the circle the home side roared on by the sell out crowd was able to keep control.
The Sky Sports television replay will show a scrappy game in places but a closer look at the third quarter will see how an improving defensive structure can lay the foundations for a more successful push for goals. Celtic Dragons started using the Wildcats tactics against them - the zonal defence proved more effective and helped them take the quarter by 3 goals.
You get the feeling that Glasgow wanted to prove they're not the "whipping boys" of the Superleague as they came out on court and stamped their authority. Brunel Hurricanes know how the Wildcats can claw themselves into the match. The side is slicker than the side that were 17-1 down in the first quarter of their first Superleague match against Leeds the training is beginning to pay off.
The Scottish national side can only benefit from an improving Wildcats especially with Glasgow hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Denise Holland, GWC Head Coach "I'm delighted with a strong first half in front of the home crowd which was incredible. Second half proved much more difficult coping with their changed defence."
Glasgow's final game of the season means a trip to Northern Thunder and they must know it's a match they could win. For the Celtic Dragons, who face a buoyant Team Northumbria on Saturday 14th March, it's back to the drawing board after probably collecting the wooden spoon for a second season.
Starting Lineup
Glasgow Wildcats
GS: Lesley MacDonald (capt)
GA: Rachel Holmes
WA: Gail Higgins
C: Carlene Hamilton
WD: Claire Brownie
GD: Claire Cooper
GK: Hayley Mulheron
Shooting Statistics
GS: Lesley MacDonald 31/41
GA: Rachel Holmes 11/15
Celtic Dragons
GS: Chrissie Munroe
GA: Cara-Lee Moseley
WA: Susie Drain
C: Sara Leach
WD: Sian Carrington
GD: Sara Hale
GK: Lindsay Keable
Shooting Statistics
Chrissie Munroe 14/21 = 67%
Cara-Lee Moseley 15/22 = 68%
Round 14 (rescheduled match)
Report: TeamBath v Team Northumbria
Venue: Sports Training Village, University of Bath
Time: 1800 (delayed start 1830)
Umpires: Judith Groves and Jo Kelly, with Kylie Woodhead as 3rd official
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10-10 |
| 2 | 24-22 |
| 3 | 45-37 |
| 4 | 60-52 |
| Full Time | 60-52 |
Snow in the early part of February forced the postponement of this Co-operative Netball Superleague match. For both sides it meant two matches in two days but Team Northumbria also had the added burden of a late finish on Saturday night against Mavericks before jumping on a plane to Bristol on Sunday.
Delays to the flight meant the game was held back for half an hour to give the visitors enough time to prepare for the game but when Team Northumbria's starting seven came on the court they proved more than up for the game. Bath's players could have enjoyed a lie-in and leisurely Sunday lunch as they were playing at home but while they started with their usual gusto the visitors were more than able to match them in the first 15 minutes . A superb shooting performance from Northumbria's attacking force was carried into the second quarter Carla Dziwoki played a captain's role leading the way from pass to post missing just once in the first quarter.
Few sides have held the league leaders by two goals at the half-time break which is possibly why Bath coach Jess Garland shuffled her attack bringing together the familiar pairing of Dunn and Cookey to bring more balls into the attack bringing more shots and more goals; by the end of the 3rd quarter Bath had pulled into an 8 goal lead.
Maybe the only team in The Co-operative Netball Superleague felt the cushion was big enough to experiment, Pamela Cookey came out to WA as part of changes that ensured the entire squad had a runout. By the end of the match Team Northumbria's squad had also all played some part in an excellent performance that must have been something of a morale booster. Captain Carla Dziwoki was inspirational as the statistics back up; Team Northumbria had a total of 63 shots at goal - the skipper was responsible for 52 of those and she only missed 6, Carla's been called up for ANZ and is off to play with Queensland Firebirds and takes the best wishes of the Superleague with her.
Kirsty Delves was finally back in a bib for TeamBath and in fine form after a long period of injury and illness. Bath coach Jess Garland thought "It was a very a very challenging game which is what we needed going into the play-offs. It was important that the full squad experienced this. It was good to see Kirsty Delves back on court in her first Superleague appearance since October and players to mention include Stacey Francis who rounded off a really consistent weekend following a good game yesterday and earning more turn overs tonight. It was pleasing to see and untried combination Rachel Dunn at goal-attack, Kirsty at goal-shooter and Pamela at wing-attack."
Seven other sides have been to Bath this season all have lost but only Loughborough Lightning have come closer than Team Northumbria to overturning the undefeated leaders who have one more game to go in their bid to go through the season unbeaten.
Starting Lineup
TeamBath
GS: Pamela Cookey
GA: Monique Wood
WA: Sasha Corbin
C: Serena Guthrie
WD: Sara Bayman
GD: Gemma Fletcher
GK: Eboni Beckford-Chambers
Shooting stats
Rachel Dunn 22/25 = 88%
Pamela Cookey 20/22 = 91%
Monique Wood 9/15 = 60%
Kirsty Delves 8/14 = 57%
Team Northumbria
GS: Carla Dziwoki (capt)
GA: Talai Bari
WA: Marie Ewing
C : Vicky Burgess
WD: Tessa Burton
GD: Natalie Connor
GK: Abi Ryan
Shooting Statistics
Carla Dziwoki 46/52 = 88%
Vicky Phillips 1/2; = 50%
Talei Bari 5/9; = 56%
Round 16
Report: Loughborough Lightning v Team Northumbria
Venue: Sir David Wallace Hall, Loughborough University
TV: Thursday 5th March, 2009 1800 SkySports Xtra
Umpires: Kim Lumley, Jo Kelly and 3rd official Heather Gleadall
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 17-8 |
| 2 | 28-21 |
| 3 | 44-34 |
| 4 | 56-42 |
| Full Time | 56-42 |
Goal for goal in the early part of the first quarter, this Co-operative Netball Superleague was another pacy production. Team Northumbria held up well to the speed of the first 15 minutes but Loughborough Lightning had a sizeavle advantage. They were able to benefit most from another inspired performance from Jo Harten, back from England duty - she was on fire and as the team provided quick turnover to the posts she duly converted.
Team Northumbria made changes for the second quarter bringing more height into attack and they were able to bring more ball into shootable range. Loughborough found it tricky to counter and the visitors cut the gap to 7 goals before the break.
This game's the SkySports televised match and it's a good one to use to analyse the effectiveness of substitutions. Lightning looked to up the pace in the second half bringing on the experienced Lisa Stephenson at goal-attack. She was looking to pick up the pace change the tempo and as Team Northumbria looked to keep up things got a lot more physical. Unfortunately the clashing between the teams meant much more whistling by the umpires which in turn slowed things up.
Jo Harten was maybe feeling the effects of an intense international stint after not her best run out in the 3rd quarter and came off for the final quarter, but with Alex Kirk back on at goal-attack and Lisa Stephenson moving in the home side were able to steady the ship with what turned into a controlled victory.
After the match coach (and wing-defence) Olivia Murphy said "We turned over a lot of ball all over the court both in attack and defence. Now we just need to be clinical and take it to the goal."
Starting Lineup
Loughborough Lightning
GS: Jo Harten
GA: Alex Kirk
WA: Natasha Hampshire
C: Jade Clarke (capt)
WD: Olivia Murphy
GD: Kara Luck
GK: Hannah Reid
Shooting Statistics
Jo Harten 5/6 = 83%
Alex Kirk 7/10 = 70%
Lisa Stephenson 14/18 = 77%
Team Northumbria
GS: Emma Lower
GA: Carla Dziwoki (capt)
WA: Talei Bari
C: Kathy Spears
WD: Tessa Burton
GD: Natalie Connor
GK: Abi Ryan
Shooting Statistics
Carla Dziwoki 26/29 = 90%
Emma Lower 2/3 = 66%
Vicky Phillips 7/13 = 54%
Talei Bari 1 = 100%
Round 16
Report: Brunel Hurricanes v TeamBath
Venue: Guildford Spectrum at 2000
Umpires: Deborah Morgan, Kylie Woodhead & Dawn Heron
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10-12 |
| 2 | 14-31 |
| 3 | 30-41 |
| 4 | 41-51 |
| Full Time | 41-51 |
Tickets sold out weeks ago for this top test with the best team The Co-operative Netball Superleague has to offer and fans of the Brunel Hurricanes were treated to a sizzling warm up as the Talent team took their league title with a 46-25 win over their TeamBath counterparts. It made for a real buzz around the Guildford Spectrum where the Hurricanes play-off plans have blown off course in recent weeks. Protecting a perfect league record has been order of the day for TeamBath who have topped the table all season and that means fielding the best available side; the England players may have been part of a three match international series in the past week but they were still out on court for their club this weekend.
Selecting key personnel for the starting line-up suggests the table-toppers were keen to get the result in the bag as soon as possible and it was one of the fastest games of netball the league has seen for some time, the pace of playing Jamaica perhaps, overflowing into the domestic game. As always Pamela Cookey played the high standard of netball we've come to expect although Brunel's GD Jamie Galley was able to keep the GA under pressure in the first 15 minutes and there was very little between the sides by the whistle.
The second quarter did not go well for the 1000 fans packed in to see if the Hurricanes could consolidate their fourth place in the table. For 15 minutes the home side made silly errors that stopped the ball being fed into their strike force, the scraps the shooters were left with means in that period they could only get 4 from the 7 attempts on goal; TeamBath continued playing by the book and so by scoring for 19 of their 23 shots blasted into a sizeable lead that suggested it was game over by half-time.
Substituting players on and off is a dark art, more sophisticated than the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" school of thinking. Brunel's boss Natalie Swift made a good call by bringing on Kate Ricks and Chioma Matthews to strengthen the centre court attacking options. They were both outstanding clearing the passage in to shooter Vicklyn Joseph who accepted their gifts and popped them in the net. TeamBath could be forgiven for thinking with such a lead it would be okay to rest players including Eboni Beckford-Chambers but her absence certainly helped the home side's effort to close up - they got more ball into the circle and won the quarter by six.
Eboni was back for the final quarter that again was a close run thing. The damage had been done before half-time and TeamBath were able to sit tight and chalk up another win, watched from the stands by the statuesque Jamaican shooter Romelda Aiken - it's 13 out of 13 now a maximum 26 points. Brunel Hurricanes however have just 14 are have been joined by Leeds Carnegie in the push to finish 4th in the table to earn a place in the place-offs. A superior goal tally keeps the Hurricanes ahead and we may have to wait until the penultimate match of the regular season to see if they can hold on; Leeds Carnegie are at home on 7 March in a tough derby match with Northern Thunder - Brunel Hurricanes play Loughborough Lightning on 14 March.
Brunel Hurricanes Coach Natalie Swift said afterwards " It was a much better performance and there were moments when everything clicked for us. We need to work on our 2nd quarter and delivering consistency for the whole sixty minutes. In the second half we played a much more disciplined game and are just starting to find ourselves again. More of the same is required next week and we need to try and keep that consistency for the whole match but I was very pleased with the second half performance and there were lots of positives for us to take forward."
Starting Lineup
Brunel Hurricanes
GS: Vicklyn Joseph
GA: Asha Tett
WA: Louise Moffats
C: Becky Nash (capt)
WD: Donna Fearon
GD: Jamie Galley
GK: Sonia Mkoloma
Shooting Statistics
V. Joseph 27/39 = 69%
A. Tett 14/19 = 74%
TeamBath
GS: Rachel Dunn
GA:Pamela Cookey (capt)
WA: Tamsin Greenway
C: Serena Guthrie
WD: Sara Bayman
GD: Eboni Beckford-Chambers off in 3rd
GK: Stacey Francis
Shooting Statistics
Rachel Dunn 18/23 = 78%
Pamela Cookey 22/27 = 81%
Monique Wood 11/16 = 68%
Report: Celtic Dragons v Leeds Carnegie
Venue: Welsh Institute of Sport, Cardiff at 1400
Umpires: Chris Wilson-Smith, Kim Burns and 3rd official Alison Smith
| Quarter | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 6-14 |
| 2 | 12-33 |
| 3 | 22-45 |
| 4 | 28-56 |
| Full Time | 28-56 |
Leeds Carnegie could still finish in the top four this season and take part in the end of season play-offs and they appeared to relish the chance to take another step closer with thumping win over Celtic Dragons. We're up to round 16 in the Co-operative Netball Superleague and that means there aren't many more points to be banked although goals scored could yet shape up the way the fourth place in the table is decided.
It was 56-28 in favour of the visiting side at the final whistle but it could have been much worse after Celtic Dragons stalled at the start of the match twelve goals down at the end of 15 minutes is more than an uphill task for any side and to be 21 adrift at the half-time interval doesn't do much to encourage a comeback in the last part of the match.
Leeds ran the drills in the first half with Amanda Martin proving herself a class act as usual in and around their attacking circle and they had little to trouble them as the score proves, their only substitutions were enforced by injuries to Jo Walker and Lisa Ferneyhough in the later stages of the game.
After 30 minutes of punishment the Dragons woke up and join the game - they only lost the 3rd quarter by one goal and were 9-6 up at one stage but as has been their wont this season they failed to sustain the success into the final whistle. Carnegie banked the points and a significant goal advantage but it could have been more.
Celtic Dragons performance director Ian Root said after "We can do the good stuff but are just not consistent. We can't sustain our concentration for long enough." He also paid tribute to their opponent "Leeds' defence is very good, very physical but in goal-attack Amanda Martin they have a very clever playmaker. If Leeds can sustain that kind of performance they could make it into the play-offs."
Marion Lofthouse assistant coach with Leeds Carnegie told us "We are very pleased with the win because it means we are still in contention for the 4th spot but felt we could have scored more goals. We need to push harder and finish stronger."
Starting Linenup
Celtic Dragons
GS: Chrissie Munroe
GA: Cara-Lee Moseley
WA: Amanda Trounce
C: Steph Essex
WD: Sian Carrington
GD: Sara Hale
GK: Lindsay Keable
Shooting Statistics
Chrissie Munroe 6/14 = 43%
Cara-Lee Moseley 11/20 = 55%
Shenaide Blucher 8/13 = 62%
Leeds Carnegie
GS: Joanne Walker
GA: Amanda Martin
WA: Danielle Bloomfield
C: Jennifer Fields
WD: Lisa Ferneyhough
GD: Ama Agbeze
GK: Jo Davis (capt)
Shooting Stats
Joanna Walker 21/26 = 83%
Amanda Martin 22/31 = 78%
Darcy Worsdale 3/5 = 60%
Report:Mavericks v Glasgow Wildcats
Venue: Hertfordshire Sports Village
Date and Time: 27th February 2009 at 2000
Umpires:
| Quarter | Score |
| 1 | 7-12 |
| 2 | 22-21 |
| 3 | 35-29 |
| 4 | 48-36 |
Glasgow Wildcats have been proving something of a revelation on the road in the latter stages of this season and London teams seem to be bring out the best in them. Certainly in the first 15 minutes of Co-operative Netball Superleague Round 16 match against Mavericks there was no pussyfooting around by the visitors. Springing into a 3-1 lead they dominated the quarter, their zone defence working a treat in keeping Mavericks shooters as far from the post as possible, while at the other end captain Lesley MacDonald was having it all her own way in the circle. She was able to take the ball in plenty of space giving her even more time to net the ball in her calm efficient way. On the rare occasion possession was lost the goal-shooter was quickly out of the circle and on the defensive and it was her efforts that ensured Wildcats led by 5 goals after 15 minutes.
Mavericks needed to up the ante to stop the slide and turned to Louisa Brownfield, who has had a busy week. The shooter was part of England's squad that handed Jamaica at 3 match defeat in the Co-operative International Netball Series. Her arrival on the court at the beginning of the second quarter inspired the Mavericks attack, providing more purpose, more presence and more stature in the goal area and despite looking a little jaded after three other match preparations in the last six days the 22-21 lead at half-time was pretty much down to her efforts in the attacking third.
In the third quarter Mavericks started to dominate playing the kind of netball that has guaranteed them a place in the Superleague Play-off. Defensively the home side came out stronger and shut down Glasgow's route into the circle and with Louisa Brownfield netting 100% the home side took an unassailable lead.
Glasgow Wildcats moved their skipper into the GA bid in the last quarter in an effort to bring more ball into the circle. Lesley McDonald is a mobile goal-shooter and just as handy in the goal attack bib, she was certainly speeding across the court when she collided with her own wing-defence; an ice-pack sorted her face but poor Stephanie Docherty had to play on with a chunk of zinc plaster on her bleeding lip - she looked like some had stuck a post-it note on her chin. On the plus side the appendage served to highlight how well she was playing. Karen Atkinson came on for a cameo in the last 15 minutes. The England captain played all three hours of the series with Jamaica but looked fresh as she came out on court to lead her Superleague side to another win. She was presented with yet more flowers and must now be in serious need of a spare vase after collecting a carpet of blooms having made her 100th appearance for her country on Thursday 26th February in Nottingham.
Glasgow Wildcats coach Denise Holland wasn't disappointed with the defeat "I'm really pleased with the performance tonight. We played with game intelligence and really worked hard to capitalize on our strengths".
Mavericks coach Kendra Slawinki admited it was tight to start with: "It was a nip and tuck game in the the first quarter and Glasgow had the edge in the first quarter and I felt the changes were fitting because by the end of the second quarter we were much more competitive."
Starting Lineup
Mavericks
GS: Michelle Hall
GA: Ella Clark
WA: Gemma Wiseman
C: Camilla Buchanan
WD: Natalie Seaton
GD: Hazel Schofield
GK: Naida Hutchinson
SHOOTING STATS:
Michelle Hall 23/28 = 82%
Ella Clark 1/4 = 25%
Louisa Brownfield 24/27 = 89%
Glasgow Wildcats
GS: Lesley MacDonald (capt)
GA: Rachel Holmes
WA: Gail Higgins
C : Carlene Hamilton
WD: Claire Brownie
GD: Claire Cooper
GK: Hayley Mulheron
Shooting Statistics
Lesley MacDonald 30/34=88%
Rachel Holmes 2/4 = 50%
Jennifer Dingwall 36/48 = 75%
Gail Higgins 0/3= 0%
Starting Lineup
Northern ThunderGS: Karen Greig
GA: Alexa Collier
WA: Krystal Gayle
C : Helen Browne
WD: Bev Lovat
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