Match Report
England Netball
England Netball
Morgan-Smith leads Mavericks to opening victory as opening onslaught blows away Jets
Brand new franchise, the Yorkshire Jets, welcomed Hertfordshire Mavericks for their first ever home match at the impressive looking Bonus Arena in Hull. It was fitting that Karen Atkinson’s title winning troops were the first visitors, thus giving the game a definite touch of sparkle. The other reason that excitement surrounded the encounter was the Round 1 result for each side. Mavericks fell to a home defeat at the hands of Surrey Storm while Jets had a heavy loss inflicted on them by Northern Thunder. The outcomes were nothing to be ashamed off as their respective opponents have been touted as potential Superleague winners, but a lot would have been read into how both sides bounced back.
It was the visitors who responded the better as they overwhelmed their opponents in the opening fifteen minutes and rarely looked like relinquishing the lead. Rose Morgan-Smith was the spearhead of the Mavericks mid-court as she showed excellent control in a fiercely competitive contest with turnovers coming in abundance. The final score was testament to the fighting spirit of Anna Carter’s side as they relentlessly pushed forward to gain a foothold back in the game after a disastrous start and will, for the second time in a row, have been left frustrated with a poor quarter costing them again.
A crowd of over 600 packed into the Arena, with a vibrant party atmosphere building ahead of the start of the action. With Mavericks in town, there was plenty of pink and purple on display as the home fans proudly displayed their teams’ colours. The jubilant and boisterous noise at the first whistle indicated the excitement and anticipation levels in Hull. Unfortunately, for the majority of fans in attendance, it was the visitors who flew out of the blocks with an immediate turnover converted from the lively Vicklyn Joseph. The pressure from Atkinson’s side all over the court was impressive from the outset as they forced the hosts into conceding easy possession, this saw the Mavericks race into a 11-5 lead after the opening exchanges. By the end of the first quarter, they had extended their advantage to nine as Joseph was frequently found under the post from Sasha Corbin and Alice Ewer. Lauren Potter was putting up some resilient defence from Jets but her hard work could only restrict the deficit to 16-7.
Having fallen behind, Carter made a swift change as the young Australian, Holly Pearce, was introduced for Jo Walker. Mavericks continued their momentum from the first fifteen minutes as they instantly converted a turnover to pull further clear. Natalie Haythornthwaite and Rachel Shaw were linking well but the accuracy was lacking in the circle and halting the home side’s fight back. The game was becoming scrappier with the turnover count increasing rapidly and the whistle being used more often by the umpires as some stern contesting of the ball was witnessed. The Jets were starting to link more fluently and started to convert their chances and apply pressure on the visitors; however, every time a step forward was taken, they seemed to take an immediate one back. For every excellent interception from the hard working defence, there was a miss at the other end and rebounds were being gratefully scooped by Lindsay Keable and Josie Huckle for Mavericks. Pearce started to find her feet and scored a couple of smooth efforts from range but at the interval her side were only one closer to their opponents, 27-19 behind.
Another rapid start to a quarter saw Mavericks pull clear with an athletic intercept from Morgan-Smith the catalyst for a quick start. The physical encounter continued as both sides were unrelenting with their pressure on each other, whistle again ensued as a lot of contact was inevitable. The direct route to Joseph was still paying dividends for the away team, while Pearce and Shaw were starting to work effectively at the other end. Ewer was continuing to work hard for Mavericks and was putting a shift across the court as she regularly tracked back to help out her mid-court as well as performing her duties excellently in the circle. An even quarter signalled the visitors’ professionalism as they kept Jets at arms-length with Corbin starting to dictate the play with some relaxed passing. At one moment affording herself a wry smile as Joseph ran into some occupied space and called for the ball. Atkinson’s side remained ahead, 39-29 heading into the final quarter.
With a huge comeback required, Carter again re-shuffled her pack as Walker came back on for Pearce as they reverted back to a target player in the circle. Shaw and Haythornthwaite swapped bibs as a fresh set of tactics was attempted to inspire the Jets. The change seemed to work as they pulled back within five goals with three minutes to go but once again some crucial misses at critical times which dampened the buoyant mood of an increasingly raucous crowd. The fans were amazing throughout the match and the last few minutes gave them a chance to roar their side on one last time.
The excitement was even getting to the hosts bench as Carter rushed on court to throw the ball back to her attack following a call for contact. With tension building, Ewer was coolness personified as she relieved the pressure for her side with a vital score in the closing stages. In a nice summary of the game the best player on each side had a final say as Potter made a tremendous leap to secure a rebound only for Morgan-Smith to make a flying intercept with the subsequent pass. The crowd were finally quietened as Mavericks picked up their first points of the season. In round three the reigning champs head to Cardiff for a tantalising clash with Celtic Dragons while Jets host Team Northumbria in a vital clash, even at this early stage of the season.
Starting line-ups:
Jets: GS - Walker, GA - Shaw, WA - Haythornthwaite, C – Panagarry, WD –Russell, GD - Forbes, GK - Potter
Bench: McKinney, Pearce, Powell, Thomas, Paynter
Mavericks: GS - Joseph, GA - Ewer, WA - Corbin, C – Morgan-Smith, WD - Buchanan, GD - Keable, GK - Huckle
Bench: Burt, Craig, Austin, Haynes