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. 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! This week’s round of East Midlands Netball Regional League matches saw Grasshopper NC come up against one of Division 2’s top teams, Iceni, in a well-contested and hard fought game (04/11/12).
True to form, Grasshoppers took an early lead in the first quarter, with some excellent shooting by Goal Attack (GA) Donna Osborn and headed into the break 11-9 up. Grasshoppers’ hard work continued to pay off during the second quarter as they consolidated their lead and headed into the half time interval, 21-16 up. Coach Anne Melling made some changes for the second half. Selina Jones came off, Karmen Askew moved to Centre (C) and Claire Fielding came on at Wing Attack (WA). The third quarter saw Iceni fight back, despite some strong defending by Goal Keeper (GK) Tracy Glover, Goal Defence (GD) Stephanie Hiom and Wing Defence (WD) Laura Harbour. By the end of the third quarter the scores had narrowed to just 30-27. Coach Melling made some final changes in the last quarter, bringing back Jones at Centre (C), moving Askew back to Wing Attack (WA), moving Harbour to Goal Defence (GD) and taking off Hiom. There ensued an extremely fraught and nail-biting final quarter for both sides with goals going in at both ends of the court. In the end, time was against Iceni though and Beth Smith and Donna Osborn did enough for Grasshoppers to clinch their first win of the season by just one goal. The final score was Grasshopper NC 36-35 Iceni. The Player of the Match was awarded to Laura Harbour for some fantastic defensive work. Sunday 4th November saw Iceni play Grasshoppers in the East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 fixture at Loughborough University’s Sir David Wallace Sports Centre.
Iceni got off to another slow start but picked up towards the end of the first quarter and only trailed Grasshoppers 9-11 after the first fifteen minutes. The game followed a similar pattern in the second quarter but the opposition managed to increase their advantage slightly, going in at half-time, 16-21 up. In the second half, Iceni fought back and won the third quarter by two goals. However, the team still trailed 27-30 going into the final fifteen minutes. The fourth and final quarter saw Iceni continue to claw back Grasshoppers’ lead and with just a minute to go, the scores were level at 35 goals each. A lot of attacking and counter-attacking play ensued but the opposition managed to score just before the final whistle. The final score was: Iceni 35-36 Grasshoppers. Iceni’s Player of the Match went to Kay Marshall who played a strong roll throughout the mid-court. This week’s round of England Netball Premier League Division 2 matches saw Falcons Black host Turnford Netball Club in what turned out to be a tough, physical encounter (04/11/12).
Falcons Black got off to a bright start; the centre court linked up well with the shooters to give them a slight lead in the opening minutes. However, Turnford’s players soon found their stride and produced some great play to pull the score back level. An injury to Falcons Black’s Sofija Djukic then led to the introduction of Hannah Joseph mid-way through the quarter. Joseph settled in well and with the help of some great defensive turnovers, the first quarter ended 11-10 in Falcons Black’s favour. No further changes were made at the break and both teams came out fighting, determined to establish a definite lead during the second quarter. This period proved to be particularly physical, which meant that both teams struggled to make the ball flow through the court. Even so, both sides produced some fantastic play at times. Falcons Black were particularly impressive in their work around the attacking circle, feeding into their shooters nicely, whilst Turnford’s effective circle defending meant that the home team found it difficult to always capitalise on their chances. Not surprisingly, the quarter ended all square at ten goals each, meaning Falcons Black went into half-time 21-20 ahead. During the half-time break, Falcons Black’s coach, Donna Swann’s message was simple. The team had to focus on making those all-important interceptions and then successfully converting them. Fresh legs were also needed. Charlotte Roye came on at Goal Shooter (GS), Eleanor Durcan came on at Centre (C), Hannah Joseph moved to Wing Defence (WD), Jade Forbes-Wattley moved to Goal Defence (GD) and Issy Beighton moved back to Goal Keeper (GK). As the Falcons Black players settled into the third quarter, the defensive pair of Jade Forbes-Wattley and Issy Beighton worked hard to turn over balls. However, the home team found it hard to break down the stubborn Turnford defence and struggled to get accurate feeds into the Falcons Black shooter. Turnford started to gain the upper hand and began to pull ahead, finishing the third quarter with a 31-35 lead. During the short break, the Falcons Black Team brought Dominique McKee back on at Wing Defence (WD), whilst Hannah Joseph moved to Centre (C) and Eleanor Durcan to Wing Attack (WA). Coach Swann’s words focused the Falcons Black team on dictating their opposing player and ensuring that the attacks through the middle court were to a Falcons Black advantage instead of playing to Turnford’s strengths. The home team made a fantastic start to the fourth quarter. In the defending circle, Issy Beighton and Jade Forbes-Wattley turned over the ball at will, whilst Dominique McKee and Hannah Joseph made it difficult for accurate feeds to be given to Turnford’s shooters. At the other end of court, shooters Christie Simpson and Charlotte Roye converted every turnover opportunity. As the quarter went on, Falcons Black upped the tempo and produced some excellent link-up play throughout centre court. The impressive team display ensured that Turnford were prevented from scoring for a full seven minutes. Meanwhile, backed up by solid defending, Falcon Black’s attack turned the game around to seal a 46-43 win. Overall it was a great team effort by Falcons Black to come from five goals behind in the final quarter to win by three and showed the grit and determination that these players approach each game with. Hopefully they can use this win as momentum for the next game, away against Dudley Leisure. Starting Line-up: Helen Hancock (GS), Christie Simpson (GA), Kate Flaherty (WA), Sofija Djukic (C), Dominique McKee (WD), Issy Beighton (GD), Jade Forbes-Wattley (GK) Subs: Eleanor Durcan, Charlotte Roye, Hannah Joseph Lincoln City 2 (the Imps) faced neighbouring rivals, Nottingham Knights, in this week’s East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 game (04/11/12). With Vic Adams injured, Megan Samways moved to Wing Defence (WD), Zoe Cooper to Centre (C) and Bethan Sullivan started at Wing Attack (WA).
It was a close first quarter as the Imps strove for all five points. The defensive duo of Lizzie Saywell and Jade Houlton fought hard to claim the majority of the rebounds, with Saywell also producing a fine interception during the first fifteen minutes. The first quarter ended with Knights just edging it, 11-13. Charlotte Bayes came on at Wing Attack (WA) after the break and created some great movement and feeds into Lincoln City 2’s attack. She dodged her player several times to receive the ball in the attacking third and provide the attack with an option on the edge. Unfortunately, the Imps lost two centre passes in a row during this quarter though, which resulted in the team going behind by five goals. The gap opened up further to a six-goal deficit at one point but Lincoln City 2 managed to claw their way back into the game and ended the quarter just two goals shy. Nottingham Knights led 22-24. The third quarter saw Bethan Sullivan move to Centre (C) as the Imps experimented with their centre court options, whilst Nottingham Knights changed their attack as they tried to open up their lead once more. Lincoln City 2’s defenders stood firm though and their marking was excellent, rarely being pulled up for contact infringements. Lincoln City 2 continued to work hard and keep the opposition at bay but as the third quarter drew to a close, Nottingham Knights had managed to open up a slight lead. The quarter ended 29-35. Charlotte Bayes moved to Goal Shooter (GS) and Laura Forsey came on at Centre (C), as the Imps changed their system for the final fifteen minutes. Defenders Lizzie Saywell and Jade Houlton battled hard to control Knights’ Goal Shooter (GS), whilst also keeping their Goal Attack (GA) out of the ‘D.’ However, it was little avail. Nottingham Knight’s shooting was excellent and what had been a close game thus far turned into a cruel defeat as the Imps simply ran out of steam. The final score was Lincoln City 2 (Imps) 34-52 Nottingham Knights. Lincoln City 2’s Player of the Match went to Jade Houlton, who was voted the best player by Nottingham Knights’ Captain. She defended well throughout the game, made many successful rebounds and regularly kept Nottingham Knight’s Goal Attack (GA) out of the circle. For more information on Lincoln City, please visit: www.lincolncitynetball.co.uk. 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. |
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