Hinchcliffe won first centre pass, but Grasshoppers Netball Club (GNC) turned it over and took an early lead. However, due to a couple of errors by Grasshoppers, Hinchcliffe caught up and overtook them; they then maintained their lead in the first quarter. The score was 10-15 after the first 15 minutes.
The second quarter was very closely contested by both teams, but despite some solid defending, Grasshoppers could not catch up and trailed 21-28 at half time. Coach Anne Melling then made some changes in the centre court, bringing on Lois Taylor at WA, moving Carly Varney to C and moving Kara Kataiwai to WD. However, again – in spite of a very determined and spirited performance by all, further errors by GNC meant they could not catch Hinchcliffe – whose GS converted almost every shot. By the end of the third quarter, Grasshoppers trailed 33-43. Further changes were made in the final quarter: Katie Long replaced Donna Osborn as GA, Hannah Wale came back on as C and Carly Varney replaced Kara Kataiwai as WD. Stacie Racz - as GS - put in a sterling performance for Grasshoppers against a very physical Hinchcliffe defence and Katie Long combined well with her to put some pressure on Hinchcliffe. The Grasshopper defence also continued to show grit and determination, with Sadie Burch – GD – being nominated as the Player of the Match. It was another excellent fight back from Grasshoppers but they just lost the final quarter 14-15 – the narrowest margin of the whole game – therefore losing the overall game 47-58.
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Leapoole won the first centre pass and made a dynamic start, with some intricate attacking circle edge play and secure feeds in to their tall GS – who converted most of her shots. They leapt into the lead and by the end of the first quarter Grasshoppers were training 8-14.
No changes were made for the second quarter and Grasshoppers rallied, matching Leapoole goal for goal and drawing the quarter 11-11, so at half time it was 19-25. Grasshoppers wanted to keep the momentum going and to help with this, fresh legs were brought on, with Carly Varney going in at WD and Lois Taylor coming on at WA; Grasshopper’s players all gave 100% and ended up winning the quarter 15-13. The same team took to the court for the final quarter and continued to give their all and showed lots of determination and spirit. They piled on the pressure and some good feeds into the Grasshopper GS, by C Hannah Wale (today’s Player of the Match) were converted, which saw Grasshopper draw even. Unfortunately, a late flurry of attacking play and steady shooting, under pressure, by Leapoole’s GS saw Grasshopper lose out on a win by 38-42, but this was enough to secure two points. Grasshopper Netball Club took the first centre pass but were unable to convert, allowing Charnwood Rutland to take the lead. Charnwood Rutland also converted nearly all of their centre passes, which Grasshopper could not match, resulting in Grasshopper trailing 7-12 after the first quarter.
An unchanged Grasshopper team found the second quarter just as tough with Charnwood Rutland dominating play. At half time, Grasshopper trailed 10-26. Half-time player changes and ‘swaps’ helped Grasshopper fight back in the third quarter, losing the period by just four goals (9-13). This left the overall score 19-39 heading into the final fifteen minutes. The final quarter saw raw grit and determination from Grasshoppers, who managed to win this period to bring the final score to 32-49. All-in-all, it was a physically demanding game and all players acquitted themselves well despite the score-line. Overall, good defensive play by the Grasshopper defence was on show throughout the match. In particular, Tracy Glover’s (GK) game led to her being awarded the Player of the Match. Grasshopper NC started and converted the first centre and also turned over a couple of Falcon’s centre passes early on. This helped Grasshoppers take the first quarter 18-6.
No changes were made by stand-in Coach, Andy Scigliano, at the break. The second quarter saw some good defensive play across the whole unit (WD, GD and GK), which curtailed Falcon’s scoring rate. Meanwhile, effective decision making by Lois Taylor (WA) and Hannah Wale (C) on which ball to ‘feed in’ and on which ball to ‘reset and rebuild’ saw Grasshoppers lead 32-14 by half time. At half time, Scigliano brought on Kara Kataiwai (WA) and Tracy Glover (GK), while Sarah Barber moved to GD. Grasshoppers once again showed some slick play and good decision making, allowing them to take a 43-22 lead into the final quarter For the final quarter, Sofi Mills moved to C, while left-handed Sadie Burch returned at WD. Grasshopper’s shooters continued to convert the goals and were eventually match winners, 61-33. A very pleasing performance, with everyone playing their part in this emphatic win. However, Player of the Match went to Stacie Racz for her superb elevation, ball collection, and shooting. Pennine took the first centre pass and immediately converted. However, their early lead came courtesy of several Grasshopper mistakes. Once Grasshopper had settled down, the Leicestershire team drew level, and the quarter went goal-for-goal. Grasshopper even sneaked a goal-advantage to end the quarter 7-6 ahead.
Grasshopper’s disjoined first-quarter performance led to Coach Anne Melling bringing on Beth Smith to GS, and Donna Osborn moving to GA. In defence, Tracy Glover made way for Sarah Barber at GK. The changes helped: Grasshopper led 18-11 at half-time. After the break Kara Kataiwai came on as WA, with Carly Varney moving to C. While Pennine entered a purple patch at the start of the quarter, sterling defending by Grasshopper Player of the Match, Sarah Barber, helped Grasshopper increase their lead to 28-19. The final changes in the fourth quarter saw Carly Varney move to WD and Hannah Wale return as C. By this stage Grasshopper had built-up a comfortable lead but further solid defending in the circle helped Grasshopper extend their lead to the final whistle. Final score: Grasshopper 39-24 Pennine. Grasshopper made a great start to their first game of 2018, winning the advantage of the first centre. However, this advantage was soon lost as Bridgford’s Centre intercepted the pass. In fact, the opposition’s Centre intercepted Grasshopper’s centre passes on several occasions, putting Bridgford on the front foot. This, coupled with a number of Grasshopper unforced errors, meant Grasshopper trailed 12-16 after the first quarter.
The second quarter was a closely fought contest but Grasshopper’s defence could not contain Bridgford’s shooters. This helped the opposition stretch their lead to 22-34 at half time. Grasshopper was in unfamiliar territory. Coach Anne Melling made some changes at half time, switching Sarah Melling from WD to GD, bringing on Carly Varney at WD, reintroducing Hannah Wale as C, and moving Lois Taylor to WA. This change in formation helped Grasshopper. The quarter went goal-for-goal for long periods, and was eventually drawn 14-14, meaning Bridgford led 36-48 overall. The final quarter saw Sarah Melling come off and Sadie Burch return to the defensive circle. However, the strength, height and accuracy of Bridgford’s GS was too much and Grasshopper could not catch up, despite a spirited effort. Final score, Grasshopper 49-67 Bridgford, Grasshopper’s first defeat this season. Today saw a clash of the big guns, with Grasshopper playing Nottingham Knights – first vs second in the East Midlands Division 2 Regional League. Grasshopper started with the first centre pass, but lost it, which allowed Notts Knights to score. They took a 2 goal lead before Grasshoppers began to claw it back. By the end of the first quarter, the score was 8-8 and both teams had to fight hard to get the ball up into their attacking circle.
The second quarter was no different, but this time Notts Knights had a slight advantage, with the first centre pass. It was another fiercely contested quarter and the two teams matched each other goal for goal right through to half time, when the score was 16-16! There was nothing to separate them and it was a thrilling match for the spectator. At half time, Coach Anne Melling made some changes. She brought on Sarah Barber at GK, with Tracy Glover making way for her; Carly Vardy came on at WD, as Sarah Melling was taken off with a suspected muscle strain. Sofi Mills remained at C and young Lois Taylor was replaced by Katie Long at WA. Stacie Racz and Donna Osborn remained as GS and GA respectively. Sadie Burch remained as GD, but not for long; she had to leave the court after going over on her ankle, so Tracy Glover came back on into defence and she and Sarah changed positions as a result of this injury and their defensive dominance went from strength to strength. From being several goals behind Notts Knights at one point in this third quarter, Grasshoppers fought really hard to pull back and be in the lead by just one goal at the end of the third quarter – leading by 26-25. The fourth quarter began with Lois Taylor coming back on as WA and Katie Long coming off. However, due to GA, Donna Osborn, feeling ill during the fourth quarter – Katie Long was soon back on as GA and combined well with Stacie Racz to keep popping in the shots. Notts Knights began to feel the pressure – from some particularly effective circle defensive work by Barber and Glover; the centre court players linked better with the defence to bring the ball up and finally, it was successfully being converted in the shooting circle and Grasshopper began to edge away. Notts Knights did put up a strong fight towards the end of the quarter, but just could not catch Grasshoppers, who finished final winners: 35-31. It was a thrilling and exciting game to watch, with all spectators full of nervous tension – wondering which way the pendulum would swing, but it finally rested in Grasshopper’s corner – which meant that their 100% unbeaten record this season continues. Player of the Match this week was Sarah Barber once more, with more excellent defensive play. Grasshopper NC went into Sunday’s fixture as East Midlands Netball’s Regional League Division 2 leaders but for quite a while their unbeaten record was under threat. Grasshopper started sluggishly but eventually managed to hold a 3-goal lead by the end of the first quarter (16-13).
By half time, however, Grasshopper’s lead was just one goal and the momentum was with Hinchcliffe. Coach Anne Melling made some changes for the third quarter – bringing on 17-year old Lois Taylor at WA and Sarah Barber at GK – but Hinchcliffe took the lead during this period. Grasshopper fought back through some excellent defending from Sarah Barber and Sadie Burch and some solid centre court linkage from Hannah Wale. This saw Grasshopper finally pull away, taking a 6-goal lead into the final 15 minutes (47-41).Coach Melling brought on Kara Kataiwai – another youngster – at WD, while Barber continued to heap pressure on Hinchcliffe’s attack by wreaking havoc in their attacking circle. This, coupled with some excellent forward vision from Wale, meant Grasshopper began turning the screw. They managed to open up a 13-goal cushion by the end of the game, winning 63-50. Player of the Match award was shared by Sarah Barber (GK) and Hannah Wale (C). It was a gritty, team effort with every single player who took to the court proving their worth and doing their job well. The match began with Charnwood Rutland having first centre. Thereafter, the quarter went goal-for-goal in a very tight contest. At the end of the first 15 minutes, Grasshoppers were losing 10-12.
Coach Anne Melling made a couple of changes at the start of the second quarter but Charnwood Rutland maintained their 2-goal lead. At half time, the score was 20-22. More changes were made at half time, but Stacey Racz remained rock solid as GS. This wasn’t enough to stop Grasshopper falling further behind and by the end of the third quarter, they trailed 27-31. Coach Anne Melling made further changes for the last 15 minutes, bringing back most of the starting players. These changes enabled Grasshopper to not only catch Charnwood Rutland but overtake them. In the end, the last quarter proved decisive, with Grasshopper winning 41-38 overall. Grasshopper ‘Player of the Match’ was Centre Hannah Wale but Stacie Racz and Megs Palmer also put in very good performances in the attacking and defensive circles, respectively. Winning all quarters and with seamless transitions, Grasshopper NC began their East Midlands Netball Regional League 2 campaign with an encouraging win over Bridgford.
The team’s pre-season work had paid off. Players' fitness levels were high, and excellent team work and support on court was evident throughout. In defence, only 9 penalties were given, while 23 interceptions and 13 rebounds made for excellent stats. In the shooting circle, Stacey Racz shot 41 of the goals with an 85% shooting average! She was ably supported by Georgia Barnes, Beth Smith, and captain, Donna Osborn. It was a fabulous whole team performance showing grit and determination and all bodes well for Grasshopper's next match against Penine, on 15th October. Stacey Racz won the Player of the Match award. |
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