Lincoln City 1s took on Bluetits in today’s East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 match with Victoria Adams making her first start as an official first team player at Goal Defence (GD) alongside Lucy Heathershaw. Lincoln 1 started slowly though and struggled to get the ball into the attacking semi-circle and lost the first quarter 5-16.
In the second quarter, Lincoln City 1’s defence was much tighter with Vic and Lucy continuing to make tips, rebounds and interceptions between them. The quarter finished with Bluetits up 17-32. In the third quarter the defence began to force errors from the Bluetits attack. Katherine Sturton and Gemma Carter switched positions in the centre court with Gemma using the court well, creating space and feeding dangerously into the attack. Lincoln 1 had improved again during this period but lost the quarter by 5 goals, trailing 28-46 as the fourth quarter approached. In the final quarter Lincoln City 1 narrowed the gap. Lucy and Vic switched in defence, turning over Bluetit’s centre twice in a row. Katherine made a great interception and Anna’s shooting was fantastic as the attack worked well together. Lincoln City 1 won the last quarter 16-11, but the damage had already been done. The final score was 44-57. Bluetits awarded Captain Gemma Carter as their Player of the Match. Gemma played well at both Centre (C) and Wing Attack (WA), created options for her team and showed experience when passing into attack. Hinckley Hurricanes took their recent successes in the Loughborough Town League and Cup competitions into their East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 fixture against Nottingham City. Following the 33-50 defeat in the pair's earlier encounter in the season, Hurricanes were poised for revenge.
The game did not start the way Hurricanes would have liked though and they were soon behind by 2 goals. However, the players began to find their feet and brought the score back level before edging ahead for the first time. Smooth transitions of the ball through the mid court by Sarah Beaty, Charlotte Taylor, Carly Walton and Debbie Skene then set up more Hurricane attacks, which were aided by Katie Pallett’s and Karen Lowdon’s accurate and well-timed feeds into Laura Matkins at Goal Shooter (GS). The team effort enabled Hurricanes to keep hold of the lead into quarter time at 13-10. The first quarter performance inspired the Hurricanes players and the team never looked back. Nottingham City tried to sneak back into the match at times but the Leicestershire team finished all remaining quarters ahead (21-20, 34-30, 45-38) and in the end tried to pull further away with the final whistle looming. Final Score: Hinckley Hurricanes 45-38 Nottingham City Sarah Beaty was voted as Player of the Match for her performance at Wing Defence (WD). She hassled her opponent tirelessly throughout the match, whilst also creating a quick outlet out of defence. It was an early birthday present for the baby of the team, who celebrates her 21st birthday this week. Also worthy of a mention is Hurricanes' Chairwoman, Stephanie Dunn, who on Saturday became Mrs Stephanie Cheney at St Catherine's Church in Burbage, accompanied by many from the club. Congratulations Steph! Pennine needed to win today’s East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 match (13/01/13) against Lincoln City 1 in order to boost their chances of staying in the top division.
Pennine started the game well by taking a 3-goal lead at the end of the first quarter. This was extended to 5 goals by half time because of some excellent attacking play all down court and Tyler Bexton’s accuracy in the shooting circle, which earned her the accolade of Pennine’s Player of the Match. Lincoln City 1 began to fight back during the third quarter though and with a little help from Pennine’s unforced errors, had taken the lead with just three minutes remaining on the clock in the final quarter. Pennine’s Kay Sparkes then made a couple of timely interceptions, which helped her team’s attack regain some composure. The Derby-based team took the lead once more and this time it was not relinquished. The final score in what turned out to be a very tense game was: Pennine 37 – 35 Lincoln City 1 Lincoln City 1 were struggling with injuries and absences this week when they went head-to-head against Hinckley Hurricanes. However, Laura Forsey, Zoe Cooper, Beth Sullivan and Megan Samways all played for the Imps, whilst Emily Coulter made her first appearance since September.
As the game got under way, Hinckley’s tall Goal Shooter caused lots of problems for Lincoln City 1. The Imps also made some critical errors and struggled to feed the ball into attack, leaving the score 6-17 to Hinckley after the first 15 minutes. Lincoln City 1 started better in the second quarter though. The team’s attack was playing well with Laura Forsey putting some great shots up. Meanwhile, Lucy Heathershaw made a tip and interception as she fought to break down the Hinckley attack. The whole of the Imps’ team efforts were epitomised by Captain, Gemma Carter, who led by example, playing out of position at Goal Defence (GD) but still showing her versatility by giving great support in the centre court and producing a fantastic interception. Unfortunately the opposition already built up a good lead and Lincoln City 1 finished the quarter four goals behind, to trail 16-31 overall. The third quarter saw Megan Samways enter the court. Once again, Lincoln City 1 raised their game and continued to turn over possession. Emily Coulter was having a good game at Centre (C) with a few tips and an interception but unfortunately she landed off court. Hinckley changed their defence and Anna played well against their Goal Keeper. At the other end, Hinckley’s shooter missed a few shots but the Imps were unable to catch the rebounds due to her height. Although Lincoln City 1 lost the quarter by four goals again, it was a much better performance. As the last quarter began, the Imps were down 30-49 but Lincoln had the first centre, which meant they had a chance to close the gap and build some momentum. Unfortunately the team couldn’t convert but Hinckley’s shooter also missed and Lucy Heathershaw did exceptionally well to get the rebound. However, Hinckley turned over the ball again and this time they converted. Despite this, Lucy continued to have an excellent quarter. She pressurised the opposition for the remainder of the game, made at least three interceptions and managed to force Hinckley’s Goal Shooter (GS) into making mistakes, ensuring the Imps regained possession. Megan made a couple of good tips too and Emily Coulter picked up a loose ball on one occasion. Anna then stepped in on a shot from the edge of the semi-circle and scored. However, in the end it was not enough. The final score was Lincoln City 1 (the Imps) 38-65 Hinckley Hurricanes. Player of the Match went to Anna Gilbert for fantastic shooting throughout the game. Her form encouraged the rest of the team to battle through, especially in the second and third quarters. She also worked the ball around the attacking circle well. 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. 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. Loughborough’s TFC knew this week’s match against Lincoln City 1 needed to be a good one to raise the spirits of the squad and officials after last week’s game. Although still unbeaten, TFC had hoped to go through the whole season with a one hundred per cent points score so that they could win the league and go into the National Play Offs full of confidence.
The first team squad was back in full force this week, providing Coach Kate with a variety of options to start the game as well as for any changes needed as the match progressed. The first seven in the starting blocks were Sara Bostock at Goal Shooter (GS), Abi Wilcockson at Goal Attack (GA), Kirsten Gibson at Wing Attack (WA), Terri Graham at Centre (C), Rachel Robertson at Wing Defence (WD), Jess Hartland at Goal Defence (GD) and Captain, Mel Croxall at Goal Keeper (GK). The first quarter saw TFC storm ahead as Hartland, Robertson and Croxall produced a solid line in defence and helped the ball flow freely through the attack. Bostock was able to find the net from all over the circle and TFC won the first quarter by 15 goals to 6. Lincoln City 1 upped their game in the second quarter and produced some fantastic attacking moves down court, which TFC were unable to respond to at times. However some tireless defensive work, interceptions and tips from Hartland and Robertson alongside some consistent attacking play from Graham, Gibson and Wilcockson ensured that TFC were able to retain their lead, winning the second quarter 12 goals to 7. Coach Kate decided to make some changes for the third quarter with Georgina Kate replacing Graham at Centre (C), Connolly substituting Bostock at Goal Shooter (GS) and Georgia Swan coming on for Robertson at Wing Defence (WD). TFC’s new-look-team took a while to settle and although they managed to maintain their lead, it had been cut into slightly, with TFC losing the quarter by 11 goals to 12. TFC made further changes for the final quarter. Georgina Kate moved to Wing Attack (WA), with Swan taking over at Centre (C) and Bostock came on at Goal Attack (GA) for Wilcockson. This time TFC were able to settle much sooner and pulled away again in the final fifteen minutes through some inspirational defence from Hartland and Swan and some outstanding shooting from Connolly from all over the circle. TFC won the final quarter 17 goals to 9, with the final score ending, TFC 55 – 34 Lincoln City 1. The score line was the result of a real squad effort by TFC, who remain at the top of the East Midlands Netball Regional League and importantly still on track to reach the National Play offs. The team has a well-deserved weekend off before another tough game against Hinckley Hurricanes the following weekend. Thanks as always to Coach Kate, club manager and scorer Rose and time keeper Kath and to all of our supporters. We could not do it without any of you! TFC’s match in this week’s East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 was always going to be a battle against local rivals, Bluetits (28/10/12). TFC had a number of players unavailable for the game and were only able to field seven first team players, meaning that two of their second team players, Rachel Hoskisson and Laura Barnett, were called up.
Coach Kate’s starting line-up had Vicky Crosby at Goal Keeper (GK), Mel Croxall at Goal Defence (GD), Georgia Swan at Wing Defence (WD), Amy Brennan at Centre (C), Abi Wilcockson at Wing Attack (WA), Sara Bostock at Goal Attack (GA) and Leah Connolly at Goal Shooter (GS). Leicestershire’s Bluetits dominated the first ten minutes of the game and stormed into the lead. TFC struggled to respond and it looked as though their unbeaten start to season was in jeopardy. However, as they began to settle, they were able to raise their game and claw back a few goals through some tireless play and shooting from attacking players, Wilcockson, Brennan, Bostock and Connolly. TFC finished the first quarter trailing but they had demonstrated enough positive play towards the end of this period to take confidence going into the next quarter. The second quarter was hard-fought with both teams showing determination to win the game. TFC’s Crosby, Croxall and Swan applied increasing pressure on Bluetits’ attack, which forced the opposition to work incredibly hard to get the ball into the circle for their shooting opportunities. The quarter went practically goal-for-goal but by half time the scores were almost even. During the half-time interval, Coach Kate gave clear instructions about what was needed to win this game for both the defence and attack and an unchanged TFC team duly responded in the third quarter. Some exceptional shooting and attacking play saw Connolly finding the net from all over the circle, allowing TFC to finish this period seven goals ahead. The final quarter was a battle of wills and determination and came down to who wanted the win the most. TFC began on top but were unable to maintain this level throughout the game and Bluetits came back to force a draw. The final score was TFC 48 – 48 Bluetits. TFC remain undefeated and at the top of the East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 on points and goal average. Importantly, they are still on track for their quest to reach the National Play Offs again this year, which, if they won, would take them into England Netball’s Premier League Divisions. Although slightly disappointed to have only drawn this week, TFC will be looking to be victorious again in next week’s game against Lincoln City 1, where they will have their full squad back. Coach Kate decided that Leah Connolly and Abi Wilcockson deserved the ‘Player of the Match’ title for their tireless and clever play as well as for their outstanding shooting. Well done both of you! TFC would like to thank Coach Kate, Rose for scoring, Rob for time-keeping and all their supporters, as well as thanks to Rachel and Laura for coming down to play if needed. Lincoln City 1 were once again without key players for their East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 1 encounter against Leapoole on Sunday (28/10/12). Amy Womersley, Vic Adams and Lizzie Saywell started for the Imps in the absence of Angie White, Laura Bartle and Beth Richardson.
Lincoln City 1 found Leapoole’s tall Goal Shooter (GS) to be in good form and so it was not surprising that the Imps were soon trailing 10-3. However, Amy Womersley’s and Anna Gilbert’s excellent shooting brought the team back into contention and by the end of the first quarter, the score was a close 13-15 in Leapoole’s favour. The opposition continued to be a handful during the second quarter, providing excellent feeds into their Goal Shooter (GS). However, Lizzie Saywell and Lucy Heathershaw also overturned possession on a number of occasions, in what turned out to be a tense and tight period of netball for Lincoln City 1’s defence. In the attacking third, Anna Gilbert made great drives out of the ‘D’ to move the ball down the court, which allowed Amy Womersley to sprint towards goal. In the end, the Imps edged the second quarter to move a goal ahead of Leapoole at 30 goals to 29. Katherine Sturton and Gemma Carter switched positions in centre court after the break as Lincoln City 1 strived to maintain their lead. In what was another tense fifteen minutes of play, the ball continued to move up and down the court and Leapoole levelled the score on several occasions with some fantastic shooting. The opposition’s defence were also playing well and marked Amy Womersley even tighter in the third quarter as they began to double-up on her, forcing Anna Gilbert to take the majority of the shots. However, the Imps were also shooting fantastically well and by the end of the third quarter were up, 43-41. With just two goals in it the Imps’ Gemma Carter and Katherine Sturton switched back to their original positions. Carter was pleased to be taking the first centre of the final quarter but Leapoole were soon level. It was a nail-biting final fifteen minutes for Lincoln City 1 and the whole team worked hard to defend their advantage. The fantastic shooting of Amy Womersley and Anna Gilbert brought the team home in the end though. Lincoln City 1 stole back their two goal lead to win the match 58-56 in what was possibly the League’s most exciting game of the day. Lincoln City 1’s Player of the Match went to Katherine Sturton, who continued on from her previous week’s efforts. Katherine made several interceptions and worked hard at Wing Attack (WA) and Centre (C). For more information on Lincoln City Netball, please visit: www.lincolncitynetball.co.uk |
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