Pennine lost its latest East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 game against Leapoole on 23 September at Loughborough University by just three goals.The match was a very close contest throughout and the Derby team were unlucky to lose 39-42 at the final whistle.
Pennine won the first quarter 12-11, yet despite this strong start to the game, they struggled in the second quarter, losing it 6-13. With a half time deficit of 6 goals (18-24), Pennine really had to work hard to get back in the game after the restart. However, with some great play all over the court, they won the third quarter 12-11 and the fourth 9-7. Unfortunately this wasn't quite enough to claim victory this time and the match finished 39-42 in Leapoole's favour. Jo Ball was voted Pennine’s player of the match for her fine shooting display and converting 100% of her shots in the first quarter. TFC's second game of the season in the East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 was against newly promoted Northants JMs. This meant that TFC's opposition were a bit of an unknown quantity for last year's Regional League Division 1 winners. There were slight changes to the starting line up this week, with Georgina Kate at Centre and Abigail Wilcockson returning from injury at Goal Attack. The defence started with Vicky Crosby at Goal Keeper, Mel Croxall at Goal Defence and Georgia Swan at Wing Defence. Kirsten Gibson (Wing Attack) and Sara Bostock (Goal Shooter) made up the rest of the attack.
TFC got off to a great start, scoring 8 straight unanswered goals. This lured TFC into a false sense of security though and Nothants JMs were allowed back into the game. They finished well to close the gap slightly, with the score 16 - 10 in TFC's favour at quarter time. After some advice and guidance from coach Kate Chambers and some reflections on how the game was developing at different parts of the court, TFC were able to pile on more attacking pressure, whilst maintaining a more effective defensive game to increase the margin by 15 goals. TFC led 34-19 at half time. The third quarter saw coach Kate make some changes to the TFC line up with Rachel Richardson coming on at Wing Defence and Amy Brennan going to Wing Attack. Georgia Swan moved to Goal Defence, Mel Croxall to Goal Keeper and Kirsten Gibson moved to Centre. Nothants JMs also made some changes, which proved too much for TFC as they lost quarter 7 - 11, closing the overall margin, with a combined scoreline of 41 - 30. TFC made some final changes for the last quarter, returning the attack back to its original format, which enabled TFC to pull away from Northants JMs again. In the end, TFC's tireless defence and fluidity in attack, ensured they won their second game of the East Midlands Regional League Division 1 campaign, 53-36. Georgia Swan was named "Player of the Match" by coach Kate Chambers for her skill and ability throughout the entire game. Georgia was very solid at Wing Defence but her move to Goal Defence was truly inspirational as she intercepted a range of passes and stopped those all-important goals from Northants JMs, to give TFC their second victory of the season. Well played ladies! Falcons Yellow march on with a convincing win over Iceni in their second match of the 2012/2013 Regional Division 2 season. Based on Iceni's convincing win over Lincoln City 2 in the first game of the new season, Falcons Yellow knew that this game was not going to be a walkover. However, they produced netball of the highest calibre to come away with a decisive win. The first quarter saw a very determined and focused Falcons Yellow lead 13 - 6. This was due to the defensive trio of Brown, Jackson and Mason breaking down the attacking moves of a very strong Iceni team. Their endeavours were repaid in full with the shooting duo of Warren and Bottomley, who not only converted most of their own centres into goals but also many of Iceni's centres that Falcons Yellow had successfully turned over as well. Brennan and Howard also produced some wonderful feeds and great drives to the circle edge, making it very difficult for Iceni to defend.
Going into the final quarter, Falcons Yellow led 39 - 23. Holt came off the bench to replace a not-surprisingly tired Howard at Wing Attack. Holt's impact was immediate. Quickly passing and moving around the court, she produced a number of slick interchanges with Owen, Bottomley and Warren to create more goal-scoring opportunities for Falcons Yellow. Although already beaten by this point, Iceni never gave up though, making this period the tightest scoreline of all four quarters. Falcons Yellow could relax if they wanted to win the quarter and although a tight affair, they managed to clinch it 12 - 10.
Final score Falcons 51 - Iceni 33. The whole to team played well but the player of the match goes to the defensive trio of Brown, Mason and Jackson. Team - Sarah Bottomley (GS), Nina Warren (GA), Weller Howard (WA), Mel Brennan (C), Tamsin Mason (WD), Samantha Brown (GD), Beth Jackson (GK) : Subs Jo Holt (WA & coach), Laura Owen (C). Division 1
Sunday (23/09/12) saw newly-promoted Northants JMs 2nd game of the season in the East Midlands Regional League Division 1. The squad fielded just seven players - enough to cover every position - so hard work was needed by all to compete in this match. The first few minutes saw TFC score eight unanswered goals. However with real guts and determination, Northants JMs' players rallied to make the quarter score a credible 10-16 in TFC's favour. JMs were positive going into the second quarter but much more fluency and a stronger defensive display from TFC meant that JMs struggled with their passing in the attacking third. JMs increasingly struggled to retain possession of the ball, which resulted in a 19-34 deficit after the first half. The third quarter brought positional changes for JMs players as they looked for inspiration on court. The moves proved highly successful with JMs winning the quarter 11-7, meaning they were only nine goals behind (combined score 30-41). However, with no fresh legs to keep the momentum going in the fourth quarter, it was almost inevitable that JMs' players would tire. TFC won the match with a final scoreline of 36-53. However, credible performances throughout most of the game and especially from a very determined JMs' Player of the Match, Chantee Lewis, means that Northants have every reason to be optimistic in this new division. Division 2
Sunday 23rd September saw Nottingham Knights take on Sleaford Barge in their East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 campaign. This was a fast-paced game from the very first whistle right up to the very last. The first quarter saw the netball move from one end of the court to the other as both teams successfully converted from their centre passes. However, as the quarter moved on, Nottingham Knights made several crucial mid-court interceptions, which saw them take a 14-11 lead into the second quarter. Unfortunately, an injury to Knights Goal Attack, Fiona Hale, forced a change in the shooting circle but it also gave an opportunity to youngster, Gabby Titley-Wilson to show what she could do. Gabby held her own brilliantly against a stubborn Sleaford Barge defence, enabling Knights to maintain their three-goal margin at half-time (24-21). The break allowed Knights to make further changes. They rested some tired legs and gave further opportunities to the new and younger players to learn about this level of competitive netball. However, this also played into Sleaford Barge's hands. The opposition continued to use their very experienced players, which meant that Knights struggled at times to get the ball into the shooting circle during the third quarter. It all resulted in Sleaford Barge levelling the scores at the end of this period. The last quarter was a very tough battle as both teams searched for any advantage. However, Sleaford Barge found it and won the game by just a single-goal margin. Knights knew that they had their chances to win the game but unfortunately Sleaford's greater number of interceptions in mid-court proved to be crucial. Knights were so disappointed that they are already looking for revenge against Sleaford during the second round of Regional games next year! Knights have a 'rest' next week as their game against Iceni is to be rearranged due to five of Knights' squad members running the Nottingham Robin Hood 1/2 marathon to raise money for St John's Hospice, a Sue Ryder charity. The ladies are running in memory of Knights centre Dani Gatt's sister, Chantelle, who sadly lost her battle with cancer four months ago. Division 2
Grasshopper Netball Club’s second game in their 2012 Regional League Division 2 campaign ended in defeat against a strong Charnwood Sapphires side at Loughborough University (23/09/12). Charnwood were dominant from the off, converting from their very first centre pass. They proceeded to make it even more difficult for Grasshoppers by consistently moving the ball up the court at a fast pace and often converting their chances. Meanwhile, their very strong defence left few clear chances for Grasshoppers. Indeed, the quarter ended with Charnwood leading by 12 goals to 6. The second quarter saw Grasshoppers get off to a better start as they applied more-telling pressure and made it difficult for Charnwood to get on the score sheet. However, despite their commendable effort, Charnwood went on to win the quarter with a 13-goal lead. Grasshoppers were still not down and out in the third quarter, as they fought hard to level the score. This proved to be the most tightly contested quarter, thanks to some accurate shooting from Grasshoppers and an alert defence against a Charnwood Sapphires attack that at times looked likely they couldn't miss. Charnwood Sapphires brought on fresh legs for the final quarter, which only made life more difficult for Grasshoppers, who were a little thin on the ground. It also meant that Grasshoppers rarely saw the ball in the final third of the court but when they did, they ensured that they capitalised on their chances. Overall, Grasshoppers put in yet another strong team performance, highlighted by the fact that ‘Player of the Match’ was distributed amongst three of their players: Donna Osborn, Selina Jones and Rebecca Smith. Hinckley Hurricanes' season heated up on Sunday morning (23/09/12) with their first win of the season against Lincoln City 1. Judging by previous seasons' results, the game promised to be a close encounter and full of excitement and nervous moments.
From a neutral's perspective, the game did not disappoint. Hurricanes started well and netted the first 3 goals but Lincoln City 1 soon stepped up their own game, scoring in quick succession to take the lead. It was a lead they held onto as the umpire's whistle blew for the first quarter (12 - 14). Instead of being disheartened, Hurricanes maintained their composure during the interval, especially as team manager, Louise Kepner gave some swift, yet simple team tactics for the team to take into the second quarter. It meant that Stephanie Dunn had her work cut out at Goal Attack but she soon proved that she was up to the task. Stephanie continuously managed to get the better of the Lincoln City 1 defence, therefore creating space for Goal Shooter, Laura Matkin, to do what she does best. Hurricanes' efforts meant that the first half concluded with a well-deserved 27-21 lead. The ladies knew that they would have to dig deep to maintain the score line though but this is exactly what they did. Hurricanes posted their best quarter score of the game 16 - 4 to see the three-quarter time poised at 43-25. Lincoln City 1 fought back in the final quarter and tested Hurricanes' nerve. Not surprisingly, Hurricane's earlier exertions meant that the team had begun to tire and subsequently, a few errors crept into their game. However, the defensive experience of Hinckley's Debbie Skene shone through to help settle both the players' and the bench's nerves. Debbie continued to rally the troops up until the final whistle, ensuring the game ended 55 - 36 in Hurricane's favour. All-in-all, a well-fought game from both sides. Hurricanes voted Katie Pallet, who was playing her first game of the season. as their player of the match. As quoted by club Chairwoman, Stephanie Dunn "...her work rate from the centre passes to the circle edge was salubrious..." Congratulations should go to the whole squad as the victory really was a team effort. Onto the next game: Sunday 30 September, 9.30am versus Bluetits at the Loughborough University Netball Centre. Division 2
The second round match of Iceni's Regional League Division 2 season could not have been more different than their first match of the season against Lincoln City 2. This week, Iceni played Falcons Yellow in what should have been a closely fought game. However, it was just not Iceni's day. The team had a few key players missing and struggled against some of Falcon Yellow's strong plays. Iceni just couldn't get a stranglehold on the game and ended up losing 53-33. A tough day for Iceni but plenty to take into training this week. Division 1
It was always going to be a tough game for Nottingham's Leapoole against Derby's Pennine in this week's Regional League Division One fixture. Leapoole made a good start and immediately put Pennine under pressure by taking an early lead. However, Pennine soon clawed their way back into the match by making good use of their experienced players, who started to work the ball up the court with increasing ease. This meant that by the end of the first quarter, Leapoole were trailing slightly 12-11. In the second quarter, some accurate shooting from Leapoole's Rebecca Taylor and Jo Hale as well as some impressive work by Leapoole's centre-court players helped the team overturn the deficit and take a six goal lead. The third quarter began equally well for Leapoole. Carley Bush came on as Wing Defence and her solid work helped the team increase their lead to ten goals. Ever competitive though, Pennine's tight marking meant that they managed to close the deficit with some strong defending and a succession of quick goals. To make things worse, Leapoole's Kat Lewis (Goal Defence), who alongside Kate Fairhurst (Goal Keeper), had been exceptional throughout the game, had to go off due to illness. However, Leonie Smikle took over and kept the circle defence strong with some flying interceptions. The score at the end of the third quarter was 30-35 in Leapoole's favour. It was therefore all to play for in the last quarter and Leapoole knew it wasn't going to be an easy finish. As the game drew to a close, Pennine finished strongly but Leapoole dug deep and all pulled together to hold the lead and secure victory with a final score of 39-42. Division 2
Sleaford Barge won their latest East Midlands Regional League Divison 2 game against Nottingham Knights today. Although the team were trailing 11-14 and 24-28 after the first two quarters, a spirited half time pep-talk from captain Rosie James lifted Sleaford Barge to the point where they finally started to gel in the third quarter. The greater cohesive team effort resulted in Sleaford creating more goal-shooting opportunities and these were successfully converted through Jade Newman's and Emma Sharpe's fantastic shooting. By the time the fourth quarter had started, Sleaford were level at 35-35. It meant both teams thought they could snatch victory. The final fifteen minutes saw end-to-end play, with each team pegging the other side back. However, Sleaford managed to pull ahead slightly and hold on to win the game 48-47. For more information on Sleaford Barge Netball, please visit our website. www.sleafordbargenetball.co.uk |
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