Pennine made a promising start in today’s East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 match against Leicestershire’s Bluetits, with some solid defence, and positive attacking moves (18/11/12). However, some unforced errors meant that the team had slipped to an eight-goal deficit by half-time.
The Derby-based team showed that they were a match for Bluetits in the third quarter though. Pennine’s Becs Grundy and Elisha Cooper were excellent in their marking of the Bluetits’ shooters and although the Leicestershire team had more shots at goal, their accuracy was dramatically reduced because of the pressure applied by the two Pennine players. Meanwhile, Pennine were more efficient in their shooting. They had fewer shots but the ones they took were converted well. Bluetits were able to regain the momentum in the final quarter though and eventually took the match 38 - 20. It was a disappointing result for the Derby team but nonetheless an improvement on the last time the teams met at the start of the season. On Sunday 18th November Falcons Black played third in the table, Kent’s Telstars Netball Club, in what turned out to be a nail-biting England Netball Premier League Division 2 encounter.
Playing high-flying Telstars was always going to be difficult for Falcons Black. Injuries meant the squad was somewhat depleted and only seven players were available for selection. However, the disappointment of last week’s loss ensured that the Leicestershire-based, Falcons Black team came out fighting. The players did themselves proud and worked hard for one another on the court. In this season’s previous games, matches had been lost during the first quarter, so it was important that the Falcons Black team started strongly. And started strongly they did. In the first quarter there were some great feeds from Wing Attack (WA) Katie Flaherty to both shooters and at the other end of the court Jade Forbes-Wattley (Goal Keeper, GK) and Lauren Steadman (Goal Defence, GD) turned the ball over numerous times to create multiple attacking opportunities. It was the best first quarter that Falcons Black had played all season and they deserved their two-goal advantage at the end of the 15 minutes. Falcons Black 12-10 Telstars. Quarter two saw both sides make mistakes and miss shots whilst under pressure but these periods were balanced out by other periods of fantastic netball. The score remained close despite Telstars scoring three goals without a Falcons Black reply. Falcons Black’s Hannah Joseph, playing Centre (C), worked tirelessly to move the ball from defence to attack in a composed manner and she linked well with Sofija Djokic, at Wing Defence (WD), to get the ball out safely. Some more forced errors at crucial times allowed Telstars to gain a one-goal lead as the quarter finished, Falcons Black 23-24 Telstars. At half time, Telstars made some changes and it took Falcons Black a few minutes to settle again and bring the scores back level. Falcons Black’s defence continued to force Telstars into mistakes but they struggled to capitalise on these opportunities and it allowed Telstars to stay in the game. Telstars upped the defensive pressure, forcing Falcons Black to play backwards in order to move forward again. Falcons Black’s Christie Simpson then took a knock to the head but the time out worked to the Loughborough team’s advantage. Falcons Black composed themselves and figured out how to overcome Telstars’ tactics and quarter 3 finished with Falcons Black still trailing by only one goal. Falcons Black 33-34 Telstars. After a motivational speech from Falcons Black’s coaches Kaylea McQuade and Donna Swann, Falcons Black went into the fourther quarter knowing they had to give everything to come away with a win. Katie Flaherty moved from Wing Attack (WA) to Centre (C), with Hannah Joseph moving to Wing Attack (WA). The final quarter and therefore the match would be won by the team that could keep their composure. The ball travelled from end to end with both Falcons Black and Telstars shooters converting their chances. It was goal for goal. But then Falcons Black made the first mistake by losing the ball. Jade Forbes-Wattley and Lauren Steadman gave their best efforts to get it back but Telstars gained the first real advantage of the quarter. The clock was ticking and with only three minute left Falcons Black were down by two goals. Sofija Djokic stepped up to the plate and applied some great pressure to Telstars Wing Attack (WA), forcing her into making errors. Suddenly, Falcons Black’s defensive pair were finding easy turn overs. Lauren Steadman took a great interception at a vital time and Falcons Black were able to carry the ball down the court and convert this into a goal. With just forty seconds to go, the scores were even and it was a Falcons Black’s centre pass. All four of the Loughborough team’s attacking players remained calm and carried the ball to shooter Helen Hancock. A long distance shot was risky but necessarily and as it went through the net, the Falcons Black bench roared. It was now the defenders time to shine. As the clock counted down, all of the Falcons Black players dug deep and found their last spurts of energy to delay Telstars’ players. It was not over though, Telstars Goal Shooter (GS) had a chance to shoot and as the ball was in the air the umpire’s final whistle was blown. Despite the shot going in, Falcons Black were victorious by one goal. Final Score: Falcons Black 45-44 Telstars. Starting seven: Helen Hancock (Goal Shooter, GS), Christie Simpson (Goal Attack, GA), Katie Flaherty (Wing Attack, WA), Hannah Joseph (Centre, C), Sofija Djokic (Wing Defence, WD), Lauren Steadman, (Goal Defence, GD), Jade Forbes-Wattley (Goal Keeper, GK) Despite a strong start, Lincoln City 2 (The Imps) struggled to maintain their consistency during their clash with Derbyshire's Iceni in this week’s round of East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 games (18/11/12). Iceni looked like a well-rounded and assured team and they managed to capitalise on many of Imps' mistakes to emerge with a convincing win.
Lincoln City 2’s team, which was once again depleted, due to illness and injury, began the game with some vigour, managing to convert their own centres and capitalise on many of Iceni's early mistakes. The Imps briefly got their noses in front thanks to some accurate shooting from Vicky Bayes and Laura Forsey. The shooters were fuelled by Zoe Cooper and Megan Samways, who both kept their composure under some difficult Iceni defensive pressure around the circle, to provide excellent feeds. Lincoln City 2’s defensive unit was also in fine form, applying the necessary pressure to force several weak feeds into the circle and secure many turnovers. The quarter finished 11-10, and the Imps left the court feeling hopeful that their high performance would continue. The second quarter saw Lincoln City 2's defence struggle to pick off the accurate feeds deployed by Ex-England Captain and Loughborough Lightning Coach, Olivia Murphy, resulting in goal after goal being converted by a meticulous Iceni attack. The Imps' shooters were also under increasing pressure from their opponent's long reach and to confound matters, an injury to Megan Samways forced the Imps into some changes. Jade Houlton dropped back to Goal Keeper (GK), Zoe Cooper claimed the Centre (C) bib and Charlotte Bayes took to the court in the Goal Shooter (GS) position, to play alongside her sister. At half-time the score stood at 25-16 in Iceni’s favour and the Imps left the court disheartened but certainly not defeated. The third quarter progressed much the same way as the second. The Bayes sisters continued to move well in attack but opportunities to net the ball were rare and Iceni continued to apply immense pressure and capitalised on every Lincoln City 2 error, no matter how small it was. The Imps did manage to convert a couple of turnovers though, including one from a particularly impressive Laura Forsey interception, which helped the team score three on the bounce. The Imps made another slight reshuffle before the start of the fourth quarter, which saw Lizzie Saywell take the Wing Defence (WD) bib and Megan return to Centre (C). Jade Houlton, voted ‘Player of the Game’ by Iceni, managed to turn the ball several times in what proved to be a low scoring fifteen minutes as both defences were on top (9-4). The Imps continued to battle hard and walked away with what could prove to be a vital point at the end of the season. The final score was Iceni 47-29 Lincoln City 2. Next up for the Lincoln City 2 ladies is local rivals, Briggs and District, in what is sure to be a heavily-contested and potentially crucial game. Sunday 18th November saw Nottingham Knights take on Grasshopper Netball Club in their East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 campaign:
The first quarter saw the game progress goal-for-goal, with Knights narrowly taking the lead by a solitary goal after the first quarter (13-12). However, the second quarter saw Knights find another gear and the team began turning balls over in the mid and defensive thirds, ensuring they took a 28-19 lead into half-time. Nottingham Knights made shooting changes during the interval by bringing on youngster, Gaby Titley-Wilson. The Nottingham team continued with their fast-paced game during the third quarter, to win it, 17-7, and take a 45-26 lead into the final quarter. Leicestershire’s Grasshoppers made some defensive changes for the final fifteen minutes, which hampered Knights’ efforts in getting the ball into their shooters. However, Knights maintained their lead to finish the game 59-42. Grasshopper Netball Club rightly chose Nottingham Knights’ Iman Thomas as their Player of the Match. The fifteen year old made numerous interceptions and consistently fought for the ball at Goal Defence (GD). Knights will be looking to continue their winning streak in a couple of weeks when they take on Lincolnshire’s Sleaford Barge, where they hope to avenge a one-goal loss from their previous encounter. The return match of this season started very closely, with Nottingham Knights and Grasshoppers scoring neck and neck at either end (18/11/12). Grasshoppers were leading for the majority of the quarter and Beth Smith looked particularly confident at Goal Shooter (GS), making life difficult for the Nottingham Knights’ defence. However, the Leicestershire team were pipped at the post in the final minute, to trail 12-13, after the first quarter.
However, due to some superb athleticism and link-up play by Nottingham Knights’ Centre (C), Danni Gatt, alongside some faultless shooting in their attacking end, Nottingham Knights romped away with the second and third quarters to lead 27-45 going into the final quarter. Grasshoppers rallied for the last fifteen minutes and won the quarter, 15-14. However, it was too little too late and Nottingham Knights ran out final winners 42-59. It was a great, well-contested and well-umpired game. The Grasshopper “Player of the Match” went to Beth Smith at Goal Shooter (GS). For more information about Leicestershire’s Grasshoppers, please check out their website: www.grasshoppernetballclub.co.uk Sunday 18th November saw East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 team, Iceni, take on Lincoln City 2 at Loughborough University’s Sir David Wallace Sports Centre. The first quarter was fairly evenly fought with both sides having a few wobbles early on in the game. However, by the end of the first quarter, Iceni led by one goal (Iceni 11-10 Lincoln City 2). Iceni then upped their game and increased their lead to 25-16 at the end of the second quarter. The Derby-based team continued to streak ahead in the third quarter, winning it by 15 goals to 7 to take a 40-23 advantage into the last fifteen minutes. Iceni then finished the game off with an impressive winning score of 49 goals to 27.
Iceni played well as a team with strong defensive plays and equally strong attacking moves. Iceni’s Player of the Match went to Jayne Harrison. After a week off, Falcons Yellow returned to Loughborough University to do battle against a very strong Brigg and District team, who were lying third in the standings before this weekend’s East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 games.
The Derby-based team got off to a slow start against Lincolnshire’s Brigg and District, who had set their stall out from the first whistle. However, Falcons Yellow were determined not to let their opposition open up a significant lead and kept their nerve to trail by just two goals at the quarter time break (10-12). The second quarter was a different story. Falcons Yellow’s defensive trio of Tamsin Mason (Wing Defence, WD), Samantha Brown (Goal Defence, GD) and Beth Jackson (Goal Keeper, GK) all made a number of interceptions and tips as they applied increasing pressure on the excellent Brigg and District attack. At the other end of the court, Falcons Yellow’s attack came into their own with interchanges of passing between Laura Owen, Jo Holt, Nina Warren and Sarah Bottomley, which led to some superb attacking play. Laura Owen was on fire with some instinctive and at times exquisite feeds into the shooters who duly obliged by putting their shooting opportunities away. This was Falcons Yellow’s best quarter of the game and they went in at the half time interval, four goals up after a quarter score of 16-10. At half time it was: Falcons Yellow 26-22 Brigg and District. Half time changes were made by Falcons Yellow with Liz Stevenson replacing Jackson at Goal Keeper (GK) and Rebecca Simms coming on in place of Jo Holt at Wing Attack (WA). With the changes made, Falcons Yellow took a little time to settle but were still brimming with confidence that they were now on the road to victory. However, Brigg and District came out in the second half, determined to spoil the party. The Lincolnshire’s attack was strong but Falcons Yellow’s defence showed their grit and determination and with a little help from Laura Own, continued to close down the opposition. Tips and interceptions were made all over the court as Falcons Yellow focused on ensuring they reached eight games without a loss. The Derby team opened up a five-goal lead but as the quarter went on, lapses in concentration and unforced errors allowed Brigg and District to bite back and reduce the deficit to just three goals. The quarter ended with Falcons Yellow 39-36 to the good. Falcons Yellow made one more planned substitution before the final quarter with Beth Jackson returning to the court at Goal Keeper (GK) and Liz Stevenson moving out to Goal Defence (GD), allowing Samantha Brown to have a well-deserved break. Falcons Yellow had plenty of work to do to seal victory in the final quarter. Brigg and District continued to press and their shooters converted nearly every opportunity available to them, even when under pressure from the Falcons Yellow defence. To make matters worse for the Derby team, Falcons Yellow were then forced into a substitution. Jackson came off and was replaced by Brown, who came on at Goal Defence (GD), with Stevenson dropping back to Goal Keeper (GK) to accommodate the switch. Brown helped to turn defence into attack by providing some excellent support down the court. She produced two outstanding and pinpoint accurate feeds from mid centre court into the circle, which were converted with consummate ease by Bottomley and Warren. But even with this type of play, Falcons Yellow could not increase their lead and were continually pegged back by Brigg and District. In such an evenly matched game it was anyone’s guess who would come out victorious. However, as the final whistle blew, the quarter ended with twelve goals scored apiece, ensuring Falcons Yellow had kept their unbeaten record intact. The final score was: Falcons Yellow 51 – Brigg 48. It was a close call for this week’s Player of the Match but in the end it was awarded to Laura Owen, with Tamsin Mason and Beth Jackson very close behind. All in all, it was a good team performance, with all players contributing towards another win for Falcons Yellow. Sarah Bottomley (Goal Shooter, GS), Nina Warren (Goal Attack, GA), Jo Holt (Wing Attack, WA), Rebecca Simms (Wing Attack, WA), Laura Owen (Centre, C), Tamsin Mason (Wing Defence, WD), Samantha Brown (Goal Defence, GD), Beth Jackson (Goal Keeper, GK) and Liz Stevenson (Goal Keeper/Goal Defence, GK/GD). Next seek is another week off for Falcons Yellow but they return on 2nd December to do battle with second-place Iceni. With a full squad available, Loughborough-based Falcons Black travelled to Dudley Leisure this weekend for their England Netball Premier League Division 2 game (11/11/12).
Dudley Leisure were known to be a strong, experienced side but Falcons Black made a promising start against the home team. Jade Forbes-Wattley and Issy Beighton (who also plays for Derby’s Pennine) applied pressure in the defending circle, whilst Charlotte Roye and Helen Hancock linked well in attack, providing Dudley with plenty to think about. Falcons Black finished the first quarter with a 9-13 lead. Quarter time saw Lauren Steadman (who also plays for Derby’s Pennine and Netball Super League Franchise team, Loughborough Lightning) replace Dominique McKee at Wing Defence (WD), Ellie Durcan come on for Hannah Joseph at Centre (C), Helen Hancock move from Goal Attack (GA) to Goal Shooter (GS) and Christie Simpson take to the court at Goal Attack (GA). Steadman’s introduction tightened Falcons Black’s defence, which produced a number of turnovers during the second quarter. However, Dudley Leisure’s defence also increased their pressure on the away team, which not only interrupted the link between Falcons Black’s defence and attack through court but also forced Falcons Black’s attack into errors. Consequently, Steadman and co.’s turnovers were not converted into goals and Dudley Leisure soared ahead to lead 28-13 at half-time. Further changes were made to the Falcons Black team for the third quarter. Hannah Joseph came on at Wing Attack (WA) and Katie Flaherty moved to Centre (C). Lauren Steadman moved to Goal Defence (GD). The changes allowed the away team to approach the game in a much calmer fashion and it wasn’t long before they were dictating the play. Balls, which struggled to get into the attacking circle during the second quarter, were now finding the shooters again and Christie Simpson showed why she had been picked for England U19 squad by putting away shot after shot. It was now Dudley Leisure’s turn to throw balls away as Anna Mulderrig (Wing Defence, WD) stuck to her player like glue and Jade Forbes-Wattley (Goal Keeper, GK) was on hand to pick off any balls that did get through. Steadman also put in another great performance during the quarter and the team effort enabled Falcons Black to close the gap to just eight goals (Dudley Leisure 37-29 Falcons Black). With a win in sight, no changes were made by the away team for the final quarter as they continued to build on their second-half performance. Playing with confidence, Falcons Black brought the score line to within six goals and were closing in on victory. However, two errors in the attacking end allowed Dudley Leisure to break away at pace, which proved to be costly for Falcons Black. Both teams dug deep and maintained their own centre passes for the remainder of the quarter, going goal-for-goal until the end. Ultimately, this meant that the away team couldn’t close the gap anymore and the match ended Dudley Leisure 47-38 Falcons Black. Despite the score line, Falcons Black came away encouraged by their overall performance and in anticipation of the reverse fixture in March next year, where Dudley Leisure would have to travel to Loughborough. Lauren Steadman was awarded the Player of the Match for her brilliant defensive work. Starting line-up: Charlotte Roye (Goal Shooter), Christie Simpson (Goal Attack), Katie Flaherty (Wing Attack), Hannah Joseph (Centre), Dominique McKee (Wing Defence), Issy Beighton (Goal Defence), and Jade Forbes-Wattley (Goal Keeper). Lincoln City 1 (the Imps) were missing four key players for their East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 game against top of the table, TFC (04/11/12). Angie White, Laura Bartle, Katherine Sturton and Anna Gilbert were all absent and so five members of the Lincoln City 2 squad were called up to play.
TFC took a three-goal lead as the Imps tried to find their feet. Lincoln City’s defence was strong though and Lizzie Saywell and Lucy Heathershaw continued to put pressure on TFC’s shooters, turning over possession on several occasions. However, the Imps also struggled to release the ball from their defence at times and were therefore unable to capitalise on the turnovers they’d produced. The quarter finished 6-15 to TFC. The second quarter saw Amy Womersley and Vicky Bayes switch positions in attack, giving Amy more freedom. Lincoln City 1’s movement in the centre court was restricted by TFC though and it led to a few of the Imps’ passes going to the opposition. Fortunately, Lincoln City 1’s defence were displaying some fine rebounding and Lizzie Saywell in particular made a great interception. It was not enough to close the gap though and the Imps were down 13-27 going into half-time. Lincoln City 1 made some changes at half-time. Zoe Cooper came on at Wing Attack (WA), Megan Samways moved to Wing Defence (WD), with Beth Richardson moving to Goal Defence (GD) and former Goal Defence (GD) Lucy Heathershaw moving to Goal Keeper (GK). The changes helped the Imps assert greater control on the game and increased the movement down the court. There was an obvious change in momentum in the game as Lincoln City 1 fought back, scoring four goals in a row and as the third quarter went on, so did the Imps’ influence. Beth Richardson made a brilliant one handed interception, while Zoe Cooper made some great feeds into the attack, which aided Vicky Bayes and Amy Womersley to double their shooting statistics compared to the previous two quarters. However, TFC came back and scored three goals on the bounce. The quarter ended with TFC still winning 38 goals to 25 but Lincoln City 1 took positives from the fact that they had won this quarter, 12-11. TFC brought back their original shooter at Goal Attack (GA) for the fourth quarter, which caused some problems for the Imps. Lincoln City 1 continued to play well and their shooting was excellent but TFC stormed ahead in and the game finished 34-55 in their favour. Lincoln City 1’s Player of the Match went to: Gemma Carter. Gemma was Coach, Captain and Centre (C) throughout the match. She linked the attack and defence well and encouraged others not to give up. Pennine faced a tough match against second-placed Nottingham City in today’s round of East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 games (4/11/12).
Pennine had five of their usual squad members unavailable and although Alexa Gregory retained her Wing Defence (WD) position, it meant that Emma Warren was once again moved to Goal Defence (GD) and Jackie and Kim Milsom were called upon to help cover the Goal Keeper (GK) position. In spite of the changes, Pennine’s defence managed to contain the Nottingham City attack for the vast majority of the game though. At the other end of the court, Pennine’s shooters were up against Nottingham City’s defence, who pressurised the Derby team whenever they could. However, Pennine managed to track Nottingham City’s goals-to-shots ratio throughout the game and came within two goals of Nottingham City’s lead at one stage of the third quarter. Despite a great performance by Pennine, the actual number of shots Nottingham City had made the difference between the two teams. The final score was: Nottingham City 41 – 34 Pennine In the end, Pennine just couldn’t keep up the pressure for the whole of the game, with the match slipping from their grasp in the final quarter. Pennine’s Player of the Match went to Alexa Gregory. |
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