Match Reports

The Co-operative Netball Superleague

 

Match Reports

Round 9

TeamBath defeated defending champions Mavericks 55-41 at the Sports Training Village of the University of Bath tonight to maintain their unbeaten record this season after eight matches.

TeamBath, catalysed by a big home crowd, made a blistering start to this Sky Sports televised encounter. This first quarter proved the match winning quarter by TeamBath who won the quarter by 10 goals. Although Mavericks were able to answer in competitive spirit throughout the 2nd, 3rd and 4th periods of the match, the damage was done here in this first quarter.

Rachel Dunn at GS for TeamBath proved why she is one of the nation’s sharpest-shooters to score six of the home side’s opening eight goals in this high scoring quarter by TeamBath. The home side’s mid-court also dominated in this initial stage of the game with Sara Bayman (WD) and Jo Binns ( C ) working well together making some spectacular intercepts.

For Mavericks, the reigning Superleague champions, England international Karen Atkinson (WA) linked well with Louisa Brownfield (GS) and Camilla Buchanan tussled well at C.

TeamBath Coach Jess Garland made no substitutions at quarter-time. By contrast Mavericks Coach Kendra Slawinski opted to move Atkinson to C and brought on Chioma Ezeogu at WA.

TeamBath continued to in the 2nd and 3rd quarters by winning both periods by a mere 1 goal each. For the 3rd quarter TeamBath made wholesale changes re-shuffling the attack end and introducing Sasha Corbin at WA. At half time the score 32-21 and 3 quarter time 45-33.

Mavericks GK Naida Hutchinson, named player of the match, defended well all game, and especially stood out in the third quarter.

In the final quarter both sides showed moments of breathtaking brilliance which kept the crowd entertained and glued to the match. Mavericks managed to dominate in the last quarter for the majority of the 15 minutes. TeamBath spoilt their good run to overthrow Mavericks and be ahead by 2 goals for the final quarter. Final score 55-41 to TeamBath, a strong team outfit showing they are the genuine force of this competition in season 08-09.

Jess Garland, TeamBath Coach, said after the match: ‘Another good start and pleased to come through winning all 4 quarters despite being forced into some unfamiliar changes. Good to finish on a win for the first half of the season.’

TeamBath Captain Pamela Cookey said ‘A good win to take us into Christmas but we still have work to do. I’m proud of the squad for what they’ve achieved for the first half of the season.’

Kendra Slawinski, Coach of Mavericks said ‘It was an error strewn start that put us on the back foot at the end of the first quarter. Playing opposition like this you cannot afford to play to this consistency. In the next 3 quarters we competed and we look forward to the return match.’

Mavericks Captain Karen Atkinson said ‘A really poor start and despite some ordinary play we competed and kept with them.’

Team Line Ups and substitutes:
 
TeamBath:
GS: Rachel Dunn
GA: Pamela Cookey (Capt)
WA: Tamsin Greenway;
C: Jo Binns;
WD: Sara Bayman;
GD: Gemma Fletcher;
GK: Eboni Beckford Chambers.
 
Bench: Sasha Corbin; Clare Elsley, Serena Guthrie

Shooting Stats:

R. Dunn: 21/29, 72%
P. Cookey: 29/32, 91%
T. Greenway: 5/7, 71%
Manager: Margaret Palmer; Coach: Jess Garland; Assistant Coach: Jan
Crabtree.
 
Mavericks:
GS: Louisa Brownfield;
GA: Gemma Wiseman;
WA: Karen Atkinson (capt);
C: Camilla Buchanan;
WD: Stefania Bello;
GD: Natalie Seaton;
GK: Naida Hutchinson.
 
Bench: Michelle Hall; Ella Clark; Chioma Ezeogu; Hazel Schofield

Shooting Stats:
L. Brownfield: 29/31, 94%
G. Wiseman: 1/1, 100%
M. Hall: 11/19, 58%

Manager: Sam Castle Coach: Kendra Slawinski; Assistant Coach: Maggie
Jackson
 
Player of the Match: Naida Hutchinson (Mavericks)

Game 1: Glasgow Wildcats v Northern Thunder
Saturday 22nd December 2008, 2pm.
Bellahouston LC, Glasgow

Q1: 6-18
Q2: 17-31
Q3: 23-45
Q4: 38-58

Glasgow Wildcats have gone down to Northern Thunder in Glasgow 38-58.

It was a self admitting ‘slow-start’ by Glasgow Wildcats to attempt to take advantage of the home game and challenge Northern Thunder, who is placed just above them on the Superleague ladder, to a win. Northern Thunder raced ahead in the first quarter to be in front by 12 goals at the first break.

And Northern Thunder were in fine form in spite of missing 3 of their top performers this week in Charlotte Beenham (injured), Kate Smith (injured) and Emma Dovey (holiday). Included into the side in their absence was 17 year old Alexa Collier who started at GA and 16 year old Krista Enziano who entered the game in the final quarter.

Glasgow Wildcats had a better 2nd quarter, going down by just 2 goals, 17-31 at half time. The margin again blew out in the third quarter, Northern Thunder continuing to out-class the home side.

In the last quarter Glasgow Wildcats Captain Leslie McDonald went down with a calf injury and forced to leave the game. To Glasgow’s credit they managed to win this final quarter and walked away from the game taking positives from this final 15 minutes of play. At full time Northern Thunder were ahead 38-58.

Coach of Glasgow Wildcats Denise Holland said after the match: ‘We were really pleased with our full court defense. Yet again we forced a well structured side with many errors. Improvements were made also through the mid court in attack delivering the ball safely to the circle edge. We will take everything we have learned to date into the second half of the season and continue to contest in more and more quarters.’

Assistant Coach of Northern Thunder was also pleased with her side in light of the forced new combinations with the new clientele in her squad. She gave accolades to her team and said ‘without our injured players we had to try different combinations. The new combination worked well and Karen Greig was very strong at GS.

Team Line-Ups:
Glasgow Wildcats:
GS: Sharyn Lyon
GA: Leslie McDonald
WA: Jenna Storie
C: Fiona Moore
WD: Claire Browne
GD: Claire Cooper
GK: Hayley Mulheron

Shooting Stats:
S. Lyon: 6/6, 100%
L. McDonald: 26/38%
R. Holmes: 5/7, 71%
N. Collins: ¼, 25%
Overall: 69%

Northern Thunder:
GS: Karen Greig
GA: Alexa Collier
WA: Rachel Henry
C: Helen Brown
WD: Bev Lovatt
GD:  Sarah Carter
GK: Kerry Almond
Shooting Stats:
K. Greig: 33/38, 87%
A. Collier: 10/15, 66%
K. Enziano: 8/11, 72%

Game 2: Team Northumbria v Celtic Dragons
Saturday 20th December 2008, 2.30pm
Gateshed Leisure Centre, Newcastle
UMPIRES: D. Morgan / C. Wilson-Smith

Q1: 10-3
Q2: 24-9
Q3: 33-14
Q4: 51-21

Team Northumbria continued on their ‘merry’ pathway toward the top half of The Co-operative Netball Superleague ladder as they hurdled over the Celtic Dragons, 51-21 in Newcastle.

The game was riddled with error from both sides in an overall sense of the game. Although Celtic Dragons started well they lost jest and dropped in spirit by the second quarter. At the end of the first quarter Northumbria were in front 10-3, despite the equal possession shared by the two sides during this initial 15 minutes of the game.

The second quarter continued with error from both teams, Northumbria were able to capitalize and squander any lost possession given by Celtic Dragons and built on a lead to be ahead 24-9 at half time. Celtic Dragons actually started really well to lead the quarter by 5 goals, however lost momentum when they let Team Northumbria back in to score 8 unanswered goals.

Sue Gaudion re-shuffled her team at half time in an attempt to find success with her squad. And not a bad move as her team re-adjusted to find the circle edge feeding into Celtic shooters. GS and Team Northumbria Captain Carla Dziwoki devastated Celtic Dragons hopes as she continued to slam shots through the net all game. 33-14 at three-quarter time to Team Northumbria.

Celtic Dragons were left in cross-roads at full time, 51-21, and were happy to learn and grow from their first half of the season. Sue Gaudion said at full time, ‘There are definitely positives from our game tonight, created plenty of turnover and opportunity throughout the match. The key to going forward to the second half of the season will be from taking from the positives and growing and building on them.’

Coach of Team Northumbria Denise Egan was happy with an injection of confidence into her side tonight and said ‘A good win where our players put into action key strategies we had trained hard to implement in all units. Good performances by Burgess and great support by Phillips at GA with Carla Dziwoki who scored 100% in 3 out of 4 quarters. A great way to spend the Christmas break with a real confidence booster today.’

Captain of Team Northumbria Carla Dziwoki said after the match ‘A good solid performance and a real team effort. We played our style and managed to play our game and in control for the best part of the game.’

Team Line-Ups:
Team Northumbria:
GS: Emma Lower
GA: Carla Dziwoki
WA: Vicky Burgess
C: Marie Ewing
WD: Tessa Burton
GD: Natalie Connor
GK: Abi Ryan
Shooting Stats:
E. Lower: 2/3, 66%
C. Dziwoki: 90%
V. Phillips: 8/14, 57%

Celtic Dragons:
GS: Carlie Ennis
GA: Cara Lea Moseley
WA: Amanda Trounce
C: Sarah Leach
WD: Stephanie Essex
GD: Stephanie Williams
GK: Sara Hale
Shooting Stats:
C. Ennis: 8/17, 47%
L. Keable: 2/6, 33%
C. Lee Moseley: 11/26, 42%

Game 3 Brunel Hurricanes v Loughborough Lightning 
Sunday 21st December 2008, 5pm
Guildford Spectrum
UMPIRES: Margaret Deighan / Dawn Heron

Q1: 8-12
Q2: 17-20
Q3: 26-33
Q4: 34-43

Loughborough Lightning have come away with a win against a strong Brunel Hurricane outfit in Guilford. It was an impressive result by Loughborough in light of 3 unavailable players due to illness and injury.

Loughborough Lightning Captain and Coach Olivia Murphy was ill and bed-ridden and left to barrack for her team at home whilst Becky Gentle and Alex Kirk are out with injuries.

The game began high in standard from the first whistle, and both sides contested well with the score going goal for goal. It wasn’t until the last 2 minutes of the quarter that Loughborough Lightning were able to take the advantage and creep to a 4 goal lead in the first break 8-12.

It wasn’t the start Brunel Hurricanes would have hoped for as Brunel found themselves running on the back foot behind all game. In the second quarter a 3 goal deficit was unable to be reversed with both teams not yielding the win. Half time score 17-20.

Anyone would presume part of a game plan against Brunel would be to keep the danger of talented defender Sonia Mkoloma at bay in their backline and disrupt a clever and short sharp attacking play led by Asha Tett into shooters Vicklyn Joseph and Lindsay Press. And it seemed that is exactly what happened in the third 15 minutes of the match.

Loughborough Lightning were able to use patience around their shooting circle with WA Natasha Hampshire impressive by making use of double plays around the circle edge. GK Hannah Reid led the way with GD Emma Bliss to shut down Brunel options in attack and creating the turnover Loughborough needed to build a lead and shake Brunel away. At 3-quarter time Loughborough were ahead by 7 goals, 26-33.

At 3-quarter time Brunel Hurricanes Coach decided to mix up her attack looking to keep Loughborough guessing. Asha Tett was moved into the shooting circle at GA and Vicklyn Joseph left the court. The move could not dismantle Loughborough who played on their guard knowing of Brunel capabilities. Loughborough Lightning won the match by 9 goals, 34-43.

Loughborough Lightning were pleased with an all-round team performance tonight. Coach Colette Thomson said ‘We were pleased with our consistency and worked hard. We showed good patient play, had a well disciplined attitude and stuck to the game plan.’

Loughborough Lightning GK Hannah Reid said ‘It’s good to go into the short Christmas break with a win, and pleasing that training practices were put into match play.’

Strong in the Brunel Hurricanes Mid-court was Captain Becky Nash. Nash commented after the match, ‘I’m disappointed, however looking forward to a nice break and looking to return working hard in 2009. We’ll be back with a bang.’

Natalie Swift, Coach of Brunel Hurricanes said ‘It’s disappointing not to get a win but we had a great start to our season. The girls deserve a rest over Christmas and we plan to improve on our strengths in 2009.’

Team Line Ups:
Brunel Hurricanes:
GS: Vicklyn Joseph
GA: Lindsay Press
WA:Asha Tett
C: Becky Nash
WD:Jaime Galley
GD: Polini Langi
GK: Sonia Mkoloma
Shooting Stats:
V. Joseph: 10/17, 59%
L. Press: 17/21, 81%
A. Tett: 7/12, 58%
Overall Team: 34/50, 68%

Loughborough Lightning:
GS: Becky James
GA: Jo Harten
WA: Natasha Hampshire
C: Jade Clarke
WD: Kara Luck
GD: Emma Bliss
GK: Hannah Reid
Shooting Sats:
B. James: 19/26, 73%
J. Harten: 24/32, 75%
Team Overall: 74%

Round 8

Northern Thunder narrowly defeated visitors Leeds Carnegie in an encounter that came down to the wire in Bury tonight. The Sky Sports televised match certainly gave viewers a thrilling game to watch.

Both teams came out strong from the first whistle leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to shake off their rivals. Northern Thunder took the lead by a mere 1 goal at the end of the first quarter, 15-14.

No substitutions were made by either team heading into the second quarter. By half time Northern Thunder had increased their lead to 4 goals, 31-26.

Changes were made at the half time break by both teams. Rachel Whitmore (WD) and Rachel Browne (GS) came on for Northern Thunder, as did Jennifer Fields (C), and Stephanie Wilson (WD) for Leeds Carnegie. The new introductions didn’t rattle either side, and both teams remained determined. At 3 quarter time Northern Thunder held on to a 3 goal lead.

It was in the final quarter when the game further exploded with competitiveness and the intensity lifted. Leeds Carnegie pulled back the 3 goal deficit and managed to get ahead by 1 goal with 3 minutes to go. The wind swiftly changed in the final 3 minutes, with possession spilling over to Northern Thunder who held composure, passing the ball down the court to their shooters with so much poise and care, like it was pure gold. In the dying seconds of the game a one goal advantage now gained by Northern Thunder turned into 2, and at the final whistle the score was 51-49 to an elated Northern Thunder side.

Leeds Carnegie's Marion Lofthouse was disappointed in the careless display by her players in the final stages despite the great encounter. She said ‘An excellent game of netball. Leeds needed to defend much stronger and did not apply much pressure to Thunder’s attack allowing Karen Greig too much room.

‘We had opportunities to win the game; we were one goal ahead with 3 minutes to go but did not take enough care of the ball. Thunder snatched the lead and kept possession resulting in the win.’ Continued Lofthouse.

Northern Thunder Coach Mike Greenwood said after the match, ‘The team that won was the team that wanted it the most and kept composure. It was a good game for players, spectators and viewers.’

Mike Greenwood asked his players for a strong performance pre-match and they delivered. Player of the match was awarded to Northern Thunder GA / GS Karen Greig. Greig was delighted with the win, she said ‘It was a fantastic result we had 4 consistent quarters together for the first time this season. We played as a team, worked hard and I’m really proud of the squad.’

Tune into Sky Sports this Thursday evening for all the netball action!

Team Line-Ups:

Northern Thunder:
GS: Karen Greig
GA: Charlotte Beenham
WA: Rachel Henry
C: Helen Browne
WD: Bev Lovatt
GD: Emma Dovey
GK: Kerry Almond
Shooting Stats:
K. Greig: 28/34, 82%
C. Beenham: 15/17, 88%
R. Brown: 3/6, 42%

Leeds Carnegie:
GS: Joanne Walker
GA: Amanda Martin
WA: Rebecca White
C: Dani Bloomfield
WD: Lisa Ferneyhough
GD: Ama Agbeze
GK: Jo Davies

Shooting Stats:
J. Walker: 88%
A. Martin: 81%

The Celtic Dragons came away with a win in Cardiff tonight, beating Glasgow Wildcats 39-30.

It was a bottom of the table clash, a game important for both teams who had a genuine chance to grab two points for their tally on The Co-operative Superleague table. As a result, the intensity, attitude and excitement of the match was felt from both sides and coaching staff alike.

The first quarter was a tell-tale sign of the two teams in competitive spirits. The quarter went goal for goal and finishing even on 8 goals each.

By the end of the second quarter the home team, Celtic Dragons, began their dominance on the game, eliminating much of the inconsistent play and unforced errors seen in their previous matches. The score was 16-13 at half time.

The third and fourth quarters continued similarly to the second, Celtic Dragons building on their lead, capitalizing on lost Glasgow possession. The score at 3 quarter time, 30-22, and at full time 39-30.

At the end of the match both coaches of the two sides were looking for improvements and into the future.

Glasgow Wildcats Coach Denise Holland said ‘Every player will be disappointed with the performance today especially having defended and won as much possession yet again.

‘We will re-group and focus on taking better care of possession as we head into next week’s game.’ Holland continued, who will take her side north next week to challenge Northern Thunder.

Coach of Celtic Dragons Sue Gaudion was pleased for the win despite seeing more potential in her side. Gaudion said ‘We played much better, we had better ball. We had more consistent patches of play, created some good space on court and brought the ball out well from the defense end.’

Gaudion also said ‘our goal percentage was still down but we had more opportunity than them (Glasgow). It was better stuff and we want to continue from next week.’ Next week Gaudion’s side face Team Northumbria in Newcastle.

 

Starting Line-Ups:

Glasgow Wildcats:

GS: Jennifer Dingwall

GA: Leslie McDonald

WA: Jenna Storey

C: Fiona Moore

WD: Claire Brownie

GD: Claire Cooper

GK: Hayley Mulheron

Shooting Percentages:

J. Dingwall: 3/6, 50%

L. McDonald: 26/34, 76%

S. Lyon: 0/2, 0%

N. Collins: 1/6, 17%

Overall Team: 48%

Celtic Dragons:

GS: Carlie Ennis

GA: Cara Lea Moseley

WA: Amanda Trounce

C: Suzanne Drane

WD: Emily Rose

GD: Stephanie Williams

GK: Sara Hale

Shooting Percentages:

C. Ennis: 18/30, 60%

C. Lea Moseley: 21/33, 64%

Overall Team: 39/63, 62%

 

 

Mavericks defeated Team Northumbria tonight 45-36 in Hatfield.

Mavericks started the game well; in fact Mavericks were one step ahead of Team Northumbria throughout the whole game. The score at the first break was 11-8 to Mavericks who diligently built on their lead quarter by quarter.

Although Mavericks led throughout the match, it was strong shooting from Aussie GS Carla Dziwoki that kept Team Northumbria in the game. Dziwoki’s strong shooting is a great strength to Team Northumbria and her mid-court worked the ball well around the circle to effectively feed the ball into Dziwoki and GA Vicky Phillips when it counted. At half time Mavericks remained ahead 24-18.

The third quarter continued with Mavericks netting a few more goals extending their lead. Mavericks were 10 goals ahead at 3 quarter time 37-27.

In the fourth quarter Team Northumbria brought on tall GS Emma Lower in an attempt to close the gap between the sides. The move proved effective with Lower causing problems to Mavericks. Team Northumbria managed to pull back just the one goal in this last 15 minutes; however the game belonged to a unified Maverick outfit. Final score 45-36.


Stephina Bello for Mavericks played well at WD, lifting a notch in her performance to outsmart her opponents. And Maverick Captain Louisa Brownfield commented post match ‘A good 2 points for us tonight and Stephina Bello is developing into a player that Mavericks can rely on.’

Maverick Coach Kendra Slawinski commented on the high and low of her team tonight and said after the match ‘I was pleased to use a variety of combinations that show great promise, however the error rate is far too high at this level.’

Team Northumbria Coach Denise Eagan took some positives away from the loss. Eagan said ‘I was pleased the game was well contested and had the opportunity to use our whole bench.’

Starting Line-Ups:

Mavericks:

GS: Ella Clarke

GA: Louisa Brownfield

WA: Chioma Ezeogu

C: Chrissy Fitzgerald

WD: Stefania Bello

GD: Hazel Schofield

GK: Naida Hutchinson

Shooting Percentages:

L. Brownfield: 27/33, 82%

M. Hall: 7/10, 70%

G. Wiseman: 4/7, 57%

E. Clarke: 7/14, 50%

Overall Team: 45/64, 70%
 

Team Northumbria:

GS: Carla Dziwoki

GA: Vicky Phillips

WA: Talei Bari

C: Marie Ewing

WD: Tessa Burton

GD: Natalie Connor

GK: Sarah Penny

Shooting Percentages:

C. Dziwoki: 29/32, 91%

V. Phillips: 3/8, 38%

E. Lower, 4/6, 67%

Overall Team: 36/46, 78%

TeamBath have successfully won the top of the table clash against Loughborough Lightning 48-59, to remain leaders of The Co-operative Netball Superleague 08-09 in Loughborough tonight.

Both teams came out strong from the outset. Those sitting in the crowd witnessed the fighting spirit from both teams. A strong will to win was clearly the player mindset in this extremely competitive match of the round. After the first 15 minutes of play the score was 11-16 to TeamBath.

Only one change was made going into the second quarter, TeamBath brought on Gemma Fletcher at GD. A 3 goal lead made in the first quarter was extended to a 7 goal lead from TeamBath by half time.

At the break TeamBath re-shuffled their shooters and mid-court and Loughborough introduced Alex Kirk to the game at GA. The re-shuffle from Bath proved to be a rough exchange as TeamBath going down this quarter, Loughborough pulling back 3 goals to be within 4 goals of the lead.

In the final quarter the new TeamBath combination found their feet and went on to stamp their authority on the game, winning by 11 goals 48-59.

TeamBath were all smiles at the full-time whistle. Captain Pamela Cookey said ‘It was a tough competitive match as we expected and were very pleased with the win.’

TeamBath Coach Jess Garland said ‘I’m very pleased with our start. Loughborough applied the pressure as expected in the middle of the game. But I’m very pleased with our biggest win in the away fixture (against Loughborough).

Olivia Murphy, Loughborough Lightning Captain wasn’t overly disappointed in the loss tonight. She said ‘We performed really well; we gave them a bit of a scare and can be pleased. There was a point in the 3rd quarter when we pulled back within 1 or 2 goals and missed the chance to equalize and take them.

‘It was a tough match and the 11 goal win is flattering to TeamBath. We are looking over our shoulder into the rest of the season and preparing for a tough match against Brunel next week.’ Said Murphy.

 

Starting Line-Ups:

Loughborough Lightning:

GS: Becky James

GA: Jo Harten

WA: Natasha Hampshire

C: Olivia Murphy

WD: Jade Clarke

GD: Emma Bliss

GK: Hannah Reid

Shooting Percentages:

B. James: 13/15, 86%

J. Harten: 25/34, 76%

A. Kirk: 10/18, 56%

Overall Team: 76%

Starting Line-Ups:

TeamBath:

GS: Pamela Cookey

GA: Tamsin Greenway

WA: Sasha Corbin

C: Jo Binns

WD: Sara Bayman

GD: Gemma Fletcher

GK: Eboni Beckford-Chambers

Shooting Percentages:

P. Cookey: 29/34, 85%

T. Greenway: 12/17, 71%

R. Dunn: 18/20, 90%

Overall Team: 83%
 

 Round 7

TeamBath defeated Brunel Hurricanes in their first Sky Sports televised match for The Co-operative Netball Superleague season 08-09.

Although TeamBath were winners tonight Brunel Hurricanes came out with zest and fatality, playing with heart giving TeamBath their first real challenge this season.

Brunel Hurricanes did not let the ‘rock-and-roll’ entrance from TeamBath players out of their tunnel to the court, and the loud TeamBath crowds intimidate them as Brunel came to play their best netball, raising the bar from the outset not allowing TeamBath to dominate the first quarter. Yes the atmosphere was electric with the crowd pumped to see their team play tonight, but little did they know the game was set to be a thriller.

Brunel Hurricanes were ahead at the first break 7-10. Sonia Mkoloma led the war-path from the start inspiring her teammates all quarter to upset the table leaders.

In the second quarter and for the first time all season TeamBath found themselves having to recover a 3-goal deficit. Brunel mid-court was tiring leaving for less Brunel options in attack, and Bath decided to turn up the heat and prove they are the competition leaders. A Brunel player re-shuffle in an injury time early in the quarter was an interesting move in light of solid team performance thus far and sound defending from the Brunel backline. Asha Tett was moved to WA where she proved useful; however her outstanding court-play was missed under the post at GA. Bath managed to pull-back and take the lead capitalizing on Brunel unforced error. TeamBath now ahead at half-time, 21-18.

At half-time both teams left the court to re-group in their change rooms. Both coaches injecting morale into their sides as the game was there for the taking and an upset was on the cards.

TeamBath went on to win the third quarter, ahead 32-24 at 3 quarter time. In the last quarter, and after a few Brunel player changes at the break, Brunel ran with TeamBath for most of the quarter. The damage was however already done in the 2nd and 3rd quarters and the professional TeamBath outfit ran away with the win finding their rhythm, timing and noticeable teamwork, winning 43-32 at full-time.

Best on court tonight was Brunel Hurricanes’ Asha Tett and Sonia Mkoloma. Tett was disappointed at the loss. She said ‘We started well and built on a good start from last week’s start. At the end of the day we had more unforced errors than they did.

‘The positive is that we challenged them (TeamBath) and it’s the first time they’ve been challenged.’ Continued Tett.

Sonia Mkoloma couldn’t have been more proud of her team tonight, Mkoloma said after the defeat tonight: ‘It was an England line-up and we did well keeping them within 6 for most of the game, they crept away in the last quarter. I thought they got away with a few things, but everyone is really proud of what we did and as a whole we did well.’

Brunel Hurricanes Coach Natalie Swift said after the match ‘We’ve learnt masses from tonight and found creative play at times when needed, and more will come with experience. It was a good learning experience.’

TeamBath was happy with the win and grateful for the tough encounter tonight. Sky Sports player of the match, Sara Bayman said ‘It was good for us to have a tough match in the lead up to next week’s match against Loughborough. We had to step up tonight and that was good.’

Jess Garland, TeamBath Coach said ‘I was always confident we would win, we didn’t assert ourselves in the first quarter, really pleased we came away with a win.’

All the action can be seen on Sky Sports this Thursday night!!

Starting Line-Ups:
TeamBath:
GS: Pamela Cookey
GA: Tamsin Greenway
WA: Sasha Corbin
C: Sara Bayman
WD: Serena Guthrie
GD: Eboni Beckford-Chambers
GK: Stacey Francis

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)          
P.Cookey: 24/27, 89%                        
T.Greenway: 3/7, 42%                                
R.Dunn: 17/23, 73%                                  
Overall Team: 43/55, 78%    

Brunel Hurricanes:
GS: Vicklyn Joseph
GA: Asha Tett
WA: Kate Hicks
C: Becky Nash
WD: Jaime Galley
GD: Polini Langi
GK: Sonia Mkoloma

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)         
V.Joseph: 14/22, 64%
A.Tett: 8/12, 67%
L.Press: 10/12, 83%
Overall Team:  32/46, 70%
   



Glasgow Wildcats went down 25-58 on home ground against a well drilled Mavericks side.

Mavericks started their first game ever on Scottish soil extremely well, finding themselves ahead on the scoreboard 5-9 within minutes. Mavericks found their ‘flow’ and fluency by the end of the quarter and went into the first break with a 9 goal lead, 6-15.

The great start from Mavericks set the stage for the remainder of the match with Mavericks Coach Kendra Slawinski choosing to keep her starting seven running into the second quarter so as not to disrupt a flowing combination. Mavericks pushed on in the second quarter and increased their lead to be ahead 26-12 at half time.

Glasgow Wildcats Coach Denise Holland re-shuffled her mid-court at half time in an attempt to rattle a dominant Maverick mid-court and in particular experienced mid-courter and Captain Karen Atkinson who was relentless with poise and precise feeding into shooters Michelle Hall and Louisa Brownfield all match. Chioma Ezeogu entered the game at half time for Mavericks at C.

Mavericks went on to increase their lead in both the 3rd and 4th quarters despite a Glasgow Wildcats outfit determined to force errors from their opposition. Score at 3-quarter time 18-44, and 25-58 at full-time.

Coach Kendra Slawinski was impressed with her squad tonight. She said ‘I was very pleased with the team. We started very well.

‘We found flow and fluency and the end of the first quarter and continued into the second, hence the fact we kept the same team. Karen Atkinson’s work rate with shooters Michelle Hall and Louisa Brownfield opened up the court.’

Denise Holland, Coach of Glasgow Wildcats was pragmatic about her loss. She said ‘Mavericks prevented us from playing a usual fast-release game. It was disappointing but of course we will take much away from the experience.

‘Defensively I was pleased that we forced the powerful England combination of Louisa Brownfield and Karen Atkinson into many errors.’

Starting Line-Ups:
Glasgow Wildcats:
GS: Lesley MacDonald
GA: Nicola Collins
WA: Jenna Storie
C: Fiona Moore
WD: Claire Brownie
GD: Claire Cooper
GK: Hayley Mulheron

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
L.MacDonald: 22/33, 67%
N.Collins: 0/1, 0%
G.Higgins: 2/3, 67%
R.Holmes: 1/3, 33%
Overall Team: 25/40, 63%

Mavericks:
GS: Michelle Hall
GA: Louisa Brownfield
WA: Karen Atkinson
C: Chrissy Fitzgerald
WD: Stefania Bello
GD: Hazel Scholfield
GK: Naida Hutchinson

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
L.Brownfield: 29/35, 83%
M.Hall: 29/38, 76%
Overall Team: 58/73, 79%



Loughborough Lightning defeated Team Northumbria in Newcastle tonight 41-61.

Loughborough Lightning was out in front from the start and left Team Northumbria on the back foot all game. The pace of the game started fast, given the high score at the first quarter break, 10-16.

C Vicky Burgess went down toward the end of the first quarter, forced to leave the game and leaving Coach Denise Egan to re-shuffle her side to fill the void.

The second quarter was Lightning’s best, clocking up an extra 18 goals to be ahead by 18, 16-34 at half time.

More changes to a disrupted Team Northumbria side at half time was made with Vicky Burgess re-entering the game at C. Although Team Northumbria improved from a hefty defeat in the second quarter, they were still subject to a strong Loughborough outfit continuing on their campaign to win throughout the third. Score at 3-quarter time 26-50.

In the fourth and final quarter Team Northumbria turned up the heat determined to improve on their score. And they did – Team Northumbira winning this final 15 minutes of the game by 4 goals. Despite the late success, Team Northumbria went down by 20 goals, 41-61 the score at full-time.

Loughborough Lightning Coach Rose Port is looking for consistency from her team despite the comfortable win and said after the match: ‘There were some good patches but lacks in consistency throughout. There were times when Loughborough allowed the ball to flow well through the court but Northumbria came back with pressure and tight defense.

‘Jade Clarke made some good turnovers to create options for the attack.’

Coach Denise Egan added her comments post match also looking ahead to the future for her side and said ‘Loughbrough came out strong at the outset and Team Northumbria struggled to maintain consistency. After half time there were some better performances with some fast release of the ball. We did win the last quarter and so must remain positive and move on to the next challenge.’

Starting Line-Ups:
Team Northumbria:
GS: Emma Lower
GA: Carla Dziwoki
WA: Vicky Burgess
C: Talei Bari
WD: Tessa Burton
GD: Natalie Connor
GK: Abi Ryan

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
Emma Lower: 8/11, 72%
Carla Dziwoki: 28/35, 80%
Vicky Phillips: 5/8, 63%
Overall Team: 41/54, 76%


Loughborough Lightning:
GS: Jo Harten
GA: Alex Kirk
WA: Natasha Hampshire
C: Jade Clarke
WD: Olivia Murphy
GD: Emma Bliss
GK: Hannah Reid

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
J, Harten: 30/34, 88%
A.Kirk: 14/21, 74%
B.James: 17/23, 74%
Overall Team: 61/78, 78%



Leeds Carnegie come closer to the top four teams on The Co-operative Netball Superleague ladder 08-09 by adding two points to their tally defeating Celtic Dragons 47-27 tonight.

Celtic Dragons were looking to improve from a last week loss, having identified key areas they wished to work on for this week. Despite their efforts it was a slower start than desired from the first whistle. Leeds was out to snatch the win, and this showed from the outset. Score at the first break 15-6.

The second quarter was looking better for the Welsh side, keeping Leeds within 1 for the quarter. Celtic Dragons behind 24-14 at half-time.

For the third quarter Leeds Carnegie decided to push the down peddle and accelerated forward leaving a hapless Celtic Dragons team a further 7 goals behind and down 36-19 at 3-quarter time.

In the last quarter Leeds continued, Celtic Dragons going down by 3 goals and at full time, and the home side Leeds Carnegie gave their crowd a proud result, final score 47-27.

Coach of the visiting Celtic Dragons team Sue Gaudion wants her team to take responsibility from here on, asking her players to raise their hand. She commented on the performance of her squad after the match ‘Some better passages of play, good options in attack and better movement of our shooters, but it was undone by silly passes and not finishing off (in goals).

‘It was better method in their (Celtic players) madness this week, the intent was better but it is now a matter of building consistency and focusing on process and not result. We tried to play a fast-paced game, but that comes with error. When our game was slowed up by Leeds we made more mistakes. Our goalies need to improve shots and take responsibility. We need to improve in the way of play, skill and decisions, especially when under pressure.’ Said Gaudion.

Sitting on the other side of the fence was a buoyant Leeds camp. Captain Joanne Davies said after the match, ‘It was nice to get a win, we were a lot more consistent today and we’re excited about our next match at Thunder.’

Assistant Coach of Leeds Carnegie Marion Lofthouse said ‘Leeds showed some excellent passages of play which all goes well for future games.’

Starting Line-Ups:
Leeds Carnegie:
GS: Joanne Walker
GA: Amanda Martin
WA: Rebecca White
C: Danielle Bloomfield
WD: Lisa Ferneyhough
GD: Ama Agbeze
GK: Joanne Davies

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
J.Walker: 7/10, 70%
S.Beattie: 2/4, 50%
A.Martin: 35/48, 73%
L.Badmin: 1/5, 20%
Overall Team: 47/67, 70%

Celtic Dragons:
GS: Claire Ennis
GA: Cara Moseley
WA: Amanda Trounce
C: Suzie Drane
WD: Stephanie Williams
GD: Sara Hale
GK: Lindsay Keable

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
C.Ennis: 13/26, 50%
C.Moseley: 14/22, 64%
Overall Team: 27/48

  

Round 6

Northern Thunder defeated Celtic Dragons tonight in Cardiff 30-41 in what was a scrappy match from both sides.

The game was vital for both teams, the winner of tonight’s match was to lift themselves from the bottom of The Co-operative Netball Superleague table and become an imperative forward-turning point to their season.

A low scoring first quarter set the tone for the match. It wasn’t until 3 minutes from the first whistle that the first goal was scored. The ball was sent up and down the court like it was a tennis match before one team decided to convert and re-start play for a new centre pass. Lots of turnovers, missed timing of leads, missed attempts at goal and hesitation in attack resulted in the low score at the first break. Northern Thunder was up by 3 goals, 5-8.

Charlotte Beenham entered the game in 2nd quarter at GA for Thunder. A few unforced errors from both sides continued this quarter. Celtic Dragons dominated possession; however a combination not working on court lost them the ball on too many occasions, handing over possession at crucial moments when opportunities to equalize and break away from Northern Thunder were lost. Northern Thunder stole the quarter by 2 goals, and was ahead at half time by 5 goals, 16-21.

The third and fourth quarters continued with no team showing fire to win. Patches of brilliance in attack from Northern Thunder gave the crowd glimpses of great potential. C for Celtic Dragons Stephanie Essex was sound in mid-court, holding the forte for her team when they patiently found their shooters. Captain and GK for Celtic, Sara Hale was a stand out defender for her side sending the ball up continuously to her attack end with hope to score. Northern Thunder led at 3-quarter time 23-31, and won by 11 goals 30-41 at full time.

Although Northern Thunder finished first, both teams felt the punch of a poor performance with both Coaches looking to improve performance and rectify basic court-play and shooting statistics for next week’s matches.

Winning coach for Northern Thunder Mike Greenwood said after the game ‘I don’t think we played very well, it was the worst we played. I was disappointed with how we played, but we got a result and that’s good.’

Celtic Dragons Coach Sue Gaudion reiterated when she said ‘Both teams made similar errors, the shooting needs to improve and we need to learn critical timing and get into a good position to take a shot (at goal). It was two teams with skills to work on.’

Captain of Celtic Dragons recognized the need for improvement making comment on the nitty-gritty areas, ‘I’m disappointed for the loss. We have a lot of work to do coming through the mid-court, attack around our shooting circle.

‘If you want to play at this level an improvement in shooting statistics needs to be made. Defensively we did well and we want to carry that into next week. We need to carry on the hard work ethic at training to the full 60 minutes on court.’ Said Hale, making reference to the intense training ethic set under new Aussie Coach Sue Gaudion.

Player of the match was awarded to Charlotte Beenham from Northern Thunder. All the action can be seen on Sky Sports this Thursday night!

Starting Team Line-Ups:
Celtic Dragons:
GS:  Carlie Ennis
GA: Cara Lee Moseley
WA: Kylie Paynter
C: Stephanie Essex
WD: Sian Carrington
GD: Stephanie Williams
GK: Sara Hale
Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)               
C. Ennis: 14/27, 52%                            
K.Moseley: 16/25, 64%
Overall Team: 30/52, 57%

Northern Thunder:
GS: Karen Greig
GA: Amanda Evans
WA: Krystal Gale
C: Helen Browne
WD: Bev Lovatt
GD: Kate Smith
GK: Kerry Almond
Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
K.Greig: 20/30, 66%
A.Evans: 3/5, 60%
C. Beenham: 18/24, 75%
Overall Team: 41/59, 69%

 

Team Northumbria went down 29-45 to their guests Brunel Hurricanes this afternoon at Gateshed Leisure Centre.

It was tightly contested between the sides for the most part of the match. Not much could separate the sides in the first two quarters. At the first break Brunel came in with a 3 goal lead, and at half time built on this to be ahead by 4 goals, 17-21.

At half time the game was still there for the taking for both teams. Team Northumbria needed just one or two turnovers and a conversion at this stage of the game to be back in full match winning contention.

The third quarter told quite a different story for Team Northumbria. C Kathy Spears went down with a hand injury early in the quarter, and was forced to exit the match. The change in team line-up was costly for Team Northumbria, a combination set to recover a 4 goal deficit at half time was disrupted by injury. This paved the way for Team Northumbria unforced error, all of which was snapped up by a hungry for the ball Brunel side. Score at 3 quarter time 21-34.

The fourth quarter mirrored the tight 1st and 2nd quarters, Brunel edging over Team Northumbria, however the score blow-out in the third was the game breaker and Brunel Hurricanes win 29-45 at full time.

Team Northumbria Coach Denise Eagan was disappointed her team went down to Brunel. She said ‘It was a closely contested physical game. Team Northumbria had a bad hand injury and it affected our second half performance.’

A boyant Brunel Coach Natalie Swift said after the game ‘The team (Brunel) showed great commitment for all 4 quarters. We went there to get a result so I’m very pleased.’

Regular stand-out defender Sonia Mkolomo for Brunel Hurricanes was again outstanding in today’s match. She said it was a team effort by Brunel to win, ‘We played a strong consistent game, every time we got a lead we tried to build on it.’

Starting Line-Ups:
Team Northumbria:
GS: Lisa Bowman
GA: Carla Dziwoki
WA: Talei Bari
C: Kathy Spears
WD: Tessa Burton
GD: Natalie Connor
GK: Abi Ryan

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
L. Boman: 5/8, 58%
C.Dziwoki: 15/26, 63%
T.Bari: 5/7, 71%
Overall Team : 29/41, 71%

Brunel Hurricanes:
GS: Vicklyn Joseph
GA: Asha Tett
WA: Kate Ricks
C: Becky Nash
WD: Jaime Gallay
GD: Polini Langi
GK: Sonia Mkolomo

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
V.Joseph: 28/39, 71%
A.Tett: 4/5, 80%
L.Press: 13/15, 86%
Overall Team: 45/59, 76%




A win tonight for Mavericks, 47-42 against a visiting Leeds Carnegie side has kept them in the top 4 teams, and creates a gap between these top 4 and bottom 5 teams on The Co-operative Netball Superleague competition ladder.

Mavericks crept away to a 4 goal lead at full time, the game was a spectacle to watch as Mavericks and Leeds fought it out for 2 table points, both eyeing off the match winning prize.

In the first quarter the game went goal for goal. Leeds did not surprise Maverick locals in Hatfield as they came out strong from the outset. Leeds defenders Ama Agbeze and Joanne Davies were brilliant at interceptions as they took advantage of a Maverick team struggling to settle and loosely making unforced error. Score at the first break 8-10 to Leeds.

In the second quarter Mavericks went for the ‘KISS’ keep-it-simple-stupid strategy, with Maverick feeders Chrissy Fitzgerald and Gemma Wiseman choosing to avoid high lobs into shooters Ella Clarke and Louisa Brownfield who put Mavericks in the game with strong shooting. Mavericks ahead at half time 22-17.

Both teams made 4 changes each at half time, a resting Karen Atkinson started her season, entering the game at C. Leeds did not yield this quarter and came back strongly at Mavericks. Leeds GA Amanda Martin shot well keeping Leeds within one at 3 quarter time, 32-33.

In the final quarter Mavericks struck with consistency. This was the difference between the two sides in this last quarter, allowing Mavericks to chip away a 5 goal win and ended what was an exciting game of netball to watch. Final score 47-42.

Mavericks Captain Karen Atkinson predicted a close game and said after the match ‘We always knew Leeds was going to be a strong team and we were pleased that we finished each quarter strongly to win the game.’

Leeds Coach Anna Newell said ‘It was a close and well contested game, we had many opportunities but they weren’t taken.’

Starting Line-Ups:
Mavericks:
GS: Ella Clarke
GA: Louisa Brownfield
WA: Gemma Wiseman
C: Chioma Ezeogu
WD: Stpehania Bello
GD: Hazel Schofield
GK: Naida Hutchinson

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
E.Clarke: 7/8, 80%
L.Brownfield: 31/35: 86%
M.Hall: 9/13: 69%

Leeds Carnegie:
GS: Darcie Worsdale
GA: Amanda Martin
WA: Rebecca White
C: Jennifer Fields
WD: Danielle Bloomfield
GD: Ama Agbeze
GK: Joanne Davies

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
D.Worsdale: 8/11, 73%
A.Martin: 26/30, 87%
L.Badmin: 5/8, 63%




Loughborough continued an undefeated winning steak to beat Glasgow Wildcats on home ground 64-41.

Loughborough got straight into the game from the first whistle. Despite this Glasgow Wildcats held strong and gave Loughborough Lightning a decent run for their money finishing the first quarter 5 goals down, 15-10 at the first break.

Loughborough Lightning gained momentum and won the second and third quarters by 9 and 11 goals respectively. Scores 32-18 at half time and 49-28 at 3 quarter time.

The fourth and final quarter was a tough tussle between the teams, only 2 goals in it. It was however too late for Glasgow Wildcats to be in game contention as Loughborough Lightning continued to perform, squashing hopes for Glasgow to recover a 21 goal deficit. Loughborough Lightning finished the game ahead by 23 goals, 64-41.

Glasgow Wildcats Coach Denise Holland said after the game ‘It was a great opportunity to play our squad against a quality unbeaten side. I was really pleased with the way we held our composure resulting in an impressive score.

‘Both Leslie McDonald and Stephanie Docherty on her debut in NSL were outstanding showing real dogged determination. This improved performance gives us the knowledge we can compete with the best.’

Excitable debutante player Stephanie Docherty said after the game ‘It was a completely new experience for me and I loved every minute of it. I thought the team showed great determination and fought for every ball to the end.’

Head Coach of Loughborough Lightning tonight Rose Port said after the game ‘It was a good opportunity to try out new combinations, a solid performance with squad rotation and we kept fluency with new players on court.’

Captain of Loughborough Lightning Jade Clarke gave credit to her opposition saying ‘Wildcats’ speed in mid-court made us work really hard and we had to think about what we were doing to adjust.’

Team Line-Ups:
Loughborough Lightning:
GS: Becky James
GA: Alex Kirk
WA: Sarah Jane O’Sullivan
C: Jade Clarke
WD: Kara Luck
GD: Emma Bliss
GK: Hannah Reid

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
B.James: 46/51, 90%
A.Kirk: 15/22, 68%
K.Rose: 3/8, 37%

Glasgow Wildcats:
GS: Leslie McDonald
GA: Gail Higgins
WA: Jenna Shore
C: Fiona Moore
WD: Claire Browne
GD: Claire Cooper
GK: Hayley Mulheron

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
L.McDonald: 35/44, 79%
G.Higgins: 1/3, 33%
N.Collins: 4/5, 80%

Round 5

It was unanimous: TeamBath were awesome tonight to win 63-29 against their hosts Team Northumbria.

A slick TeamBath line-up displayed professionalism from the first whistle, bringing the ball down the court to shooters Pamela Cookey and Tamsin Greenway like a well-oiled machine. Their combination on court was clearly working well, as was their full-court defence. TeamBath took the first quarter 5-18 and established a credible 13 goal lead.

Coming into the second quarter Team Northumbria coach Denise Egan re-shuffled her attack end, and despite this making for an improvement from their first quarter, TeamBath were on a roll not to be caught, destined for great things tonight. Half-time score 12-31.

At half time both teams made positional changes. Team Northumbria may have been down but certainly not out, giving TeamBath all they had in defence. Northumbria was able to create turnovers, however failed to capitalise. Score at 3-quarter time 25-50.

The fourth and final quarter completed an impressive performance by TeamBath. Score at full time 29-63.

Coach of TeamBath, Jess Garland was pleased her objectives she had for her team were met. She said ‘Our first quarter was our best quarter this season, it’s the best start we’ve had so far.

‘I was really pleased with our full-court defence, it was a big improvement. Both our defence and attacking players made lots of turnovers.’ Said Garland.

Whilst TeamBath’s GD Gemma Fletcher had a strong game, it was shooter Pamela Cookey who was awarded player of the match, and rightly so with a 95% shooting statistic. Cookey commented after the game ‘It was an awesome game by the whole squad, the combination finally clicked and I was really pleased with the whole team defence.’

Team Northumbria Coach Denise Egan was satisfied with being able to run her entire squad tonight, despite admitting her squad was somewhat out-classed in the initial stages of the match. She said ‘Bath came out very strong from the outset. They showed speed through the court that some of our players found difficult.

‘We played well in terms of circle defence; we got lots of turnover as a defensive unit, but didn’t manage to convert against Bath.

‘We wanted to take the opportunity to play our entire squad to see how they performed under pressure in preparation for our next week’s game against Brunel (Hurricanes), a game we really need to win.’

Tonight’s clash between Team Northumbria and TeamBath can be seen on Sky Sports this Thursday night.

Starting Teams:

Team Northumbria:
GS: Carla Dziwoki
GA: Talei Bari
WA: Jenny Montgomery
C: Tessa Burton
WD: Natalie Connor
GD: Abi Ryan
GK: Emma Lower

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
C.Dziwoki: 13/20, 65%
E. Lower: 5/7, 71%
V.Phillips: 2/4, 50%
L. Bowman: 8/10, 80%
T. Bari: 1/3, 33%
Overall Team: 29/44, 66%

TeamBath:
GS: Pamela Cookey
GA: Tamsin Greenway
WA: Sasha Corbin
C: Sara Bayman
WD: Serena Guthrie
GD: Gemma Fletcher
GK: Eboni Beckford-Chambers

Shooting Statistics (shots scored / shots taken)
P.Cookey: 38/40, 95%
T.Greenway: 16/24, 67%
K.Delves: 9/14, 64%
Overall Team: 63/78, 80%

Game 1, Round 5
Saturday 22nd November 2008
Leeds Carnegie v Loughborough Lightning
Leeds Metropolitan University
UMPIRES: Ann Marie Peacock / Alison Smith

Q1: 11-16
Q2: 21-28
Q3: 31-44
Q4: 39-61

In a physical and hard fought match, Lo