Grasshopper Netball Club played Lincolnshire’s Sleaford Barge in the East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 game this week (28/10/12).
Grasshoppers took an early lead but Sleaford came back and by the end of the first quarter it was honours even at 15-15. Grasshoppers’ coach, Anne Melling, made one defensive change for the second quarter – Fran Barney moved from Goal Defence (GD) to Goal Keeper (GK) with Stephanie Hiom taking up Barney’s old position and Tracey Glover giving way. Another very closely contested fifteen minutes ensued during the second quarter. Once again Grasshoppers took the lead during the quarter but some loose passing up the court allowed Sleaford back into the game. At half time, the score was still tied at 27 goals each. The Grasshoppers team remained unchanged for the third quarter, which was again very closely contested. Both sides played some stunning, explosive netball but Sleaford Barge just edged ahead, ending up leading by two goals going into the final fifteen minutes, with the score finely poised at 37-39. During the final quarter, Grasshopper Netball Club feared that they were going to lose their player of the match, Donna Osborn, to injury because she ended up prone on court. Luckily, after taking the full two minutes allowed, Osborn recovered to continue her assault on the Sleaford defence. Unfortunately for Grasshoppers, the game started to run away from the team and Sleaford proved just too strong in the end. The opposition romped to victory 56 goals to 47 at the final whistle. All-in-all, it was very well-contested game but still Grasshoppers chase their first, elusive victory. Sleaford Barge made a very good start in this week’s East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 game against Leicestershire’s Grasshopper Netball Club (28/10/12). However, Grasshoppers came back with some good feeds over Sleaford’s defence, into their shooter. The first quarter ended 15-15.
The two teams were evenly matched in the second quarter too and both teams ended the first half all square at 27-27. After some changes and a very positive team talk from Sleaford’s coach, the team came out “all guns blazing” during the third quarter and took the lead by a single goal. Sleaford then made another change in the defensive end, which helped to break down Grasshoppers’ attacks even more and therefore pull away from their opponents. The final score was Sleaford Barge 56-48 Grasshopper Netball Club Lincoln City 2 welcomed back Vicky Bayes into the side as the Imps went ‘back to basics’ in their match against East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 leaders, Falcons Yellow (28/10/12).
Although the Imps’ attack worked well together, the team turned over centres on just two occasions and ended up losing the first quarter by seven goals. The score at the end of the first quarter was 12-19 in Falcons Yellow’s favour. The second quarter started well for the Imps though as Lincoln City 2 quickly converted a turnover from Falcon Yellow’s centre. The Imps’ attack continued to work tirelessly throughout this period and moved the ball into great shooting opportunities on many occasions. After an excellent 15 minutes for the team, Lincoln City 2 had won the quarter 15 goals to 8. This reduced the deficit to just 2 goals, with the half time score poised at 27-25. The Imps looked to overturn the score during the third quarter and Vicky Bayes’ brilliant interception in the centre court was a fine example of her team’s efforts to keep their second-quarter momentum going. However, Falcons Yellow scored several goals in succession and opened up their lead to four goals (37-41). The fitness levels of the Imps’ players were still high going into the final quarter and so the team remained unchanged from the one that had started the match. The team also fought hard to keep possession of the ball and limit Falcons Yellow’s shooting, which had been excellent throughout the game. Despite a valiant effort, Falcons Yellow’s damage had already been done in the first quarter and Lincoln City 2 ended up losing the game 48 goals to 55. Lincoln City 2’s Player of the Match went to Vicky Bayes for her excellent shooting, movement in attack and continuous effort for an hour at Goal Attack (GA). For more information on Lincoln City Netball, please visit: www.lincolncitynetball.co.uk Lincoln City 2 were without Goal Attack Vicky Bayes for this week’s game in the East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 (21/10/12). Bayes had had an excellent game last time out but this week was replaced by her sister, Charlotte, who made her first start for the team as Goal Shooter alongside Laura Forsey.
The combination began well as Lincoln City 2 took a four-goal lead. However, the game soon became very tight and tactical as both teams vied for possession of the ball. Charnwood Sapphires moved their more-experienced player from Goal Shooter (GS) to Goal Keeper (GK), which alongside their Goal Defence’s great leap, ensured a solid and tight Sapphires’ defence. This limited Lincoln City 2’s opportunities during the first half. At half time, Lincoln City 2 moved Jade Houlton from Goal Defence (GD) to Goal Shooter (GS), which gave the team more height in the attack. Houlton scored two-from-two in what appeared a confident start for the defender. Meanwhile Forsey’s shooting was excellent, converting all of her chances. Lincoln City 2’s defence of Lizzie Saywell and Victoria Adams were also excellent at making tips, interceptions and rebounds throughout the whole of the second half. However the team could not capitalise on these chances and convert the openings they’d created into goals. The final score ended with a five goal deficit: Charnwood Sapphires 31-26 Lincoln City 2. It was tough call to choose this week’s ‘Player of the Match’ as the defence had been consistent in reading the game and in making the necessary interceptions. However, Vic Adams, who slotted into the Goal Defence (GD) position well and produced some great one-on-one marking, took the vote. Adams also made some great rebounds and supported the centre court throughout the game and was therefore a deserving winner this week. Grasshopper Netball Club had a shaky start to the first quarter of this week’s East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 game against Lincolnshire’s Brigg and District (23/10/12). Three of Grasshopper’s centres were turned over, whilst Brigg & District showed some very solid shooting to lead 7-20 at the end of the quarter.
Grasshopper’s coach, Anne Melling then made some changes for the second quarter. She moved Steph Hiom to Goal Defence (GC), Fran Barney to Goal Keeper (GK) and brought on Becs Smith as Wing Defence (WD). This ensured that the second quarter was much more tightly contested. Grasshopper Netball Club put on a superb display at either end of the court and only lost this quarter by one goal (8-9), meaning that the half time score was 15-29. The third quarter saw Grasshopper’s Laura Harbour taken off and Karmen Askew moved to Centre, with Claire Fielding come on as Wing Attack (WA). The match continued to be fiercely contested, with Grasshopper matching Brigg & District's scoring. Once again Grasshopper lost the quarter by a single goal though (11-12), resulting in a 26-41 score line. However, the final quarter saw Brigg and District's shooters convert goal after goal, whilst Grasshopper's final passes started to go astray. Grasshopper lost the fourth quarter, 7-16, with the final score being 33-57 in Brigg & District’s favour. Despite the loss, the whole team competed well and gave 100% effort. In particular, Grasshopper’s Fran Barney had a very good game in defence and was awarded Grasshopper’s Player of the Match. This week’s games in the East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 saw Iceni play Sleaford Barge at Loughborough University’s Sir David Wallace Sports Centre. Iceni had a rocky start but soon woke up in the final few minutes of the first quarter to lead 14-11 at the break. Iceni then streaked away from Sleaford Barge in the subsequent quarters, as their all-round game became more consistent.
The final score was Iceni 68 - 33 Sleaford Barge. Iceni's Player of the Match went to Jayne Harrison. Falcons Yellow were up against a very solid Nottingham Knights team in this week’s East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 game (21/10/12). Right from the first whistle, Knights set their stall out by turning over Falcons Yellow’s centre pass and the opposition continued to play at a high level for the first five minutes, resulting in an early lead. Although Falcons Yellow defended up and down the court and worked hard to claw back the deficit, they were unable to take advantage of the turnovers they produced. This was because Knights were solid in defence as well, making a number of important interceptions of their own and Falcons Yellow found themselves trailing by seven goals to two at one point. However, Falcons Yellow kept their composure and continued to apply pressure on Knights’ attack. In particular, the defensive trio of Beth Jackson (Goal Keeper), Samantha Brown (Goal Defence) and Tamsin Mason (Wing Defence) set the foundations for Falcons Yellow to claw back the deficit. This meant that after the first quarter, the score was level at nine goals each. Falcons Yellow got off to a shaky start again in the second quarter but quickly settled down and started to play as only they know how – by pushing the opposition hard all the way. This quarter was a high tempo quarter with some excellent shooting from both sets of shooters and sterling defence from both teams. It was anyone’s guess who would come out on top as the teams went in to the half-time break tied at 19-19. Both teams made changes at the half-time break. Falcons Yellow’s Rebecca Simms replaced Jo Holt who, although still recovering from illness, had given a strong performance for her team. Falcons Yellow adapted well to the changes made by Knights too, with patient play throughout the court and a strong defence once again making some crucial and timely interceptions. Falcons Yellow’s hard work and determined defending paid off as it created the necessary openings for Falcons to attack. Laura Owen and Rebecca Simms combined well with the shooters and all four players produced some timely runs and accurate passing to work the ball into the circle. This allowed both Nina Warren and Sarah Bottomley to convert their shooting opportunities with deadly accuracy. This quarter was Falcons Yellow’s best and gave the team some breathing space. Falcons Yellow took the quarter by 16 goals to 9, meaning a three quarter time score of 35 -28. The fourth quarter saw both teams evenly matched again. Although Falcons Yellow had a seven goal cushion they could not afford to relax or switch off. Unfortunately a few of Falcons Yellow’s passes went astray and this allowed Knights to come back. Knights pegged Falcons Yellow back to within five goals during the quarter. However, the centre court duo of Owen and Simms helped Falcons Yellow keep their pressure on and the team started to pull away again. Knights did not respond and Falcons Yellow won the quarter 10-9. Final score was Falcons Yellow 45-37 Nottingham Knights. Falcons Yellow go into their next game against Lincoln City 2, sitting at the top of the table. The question is can they retain their unbeaten record thus far and make it six wins out of six. The Players of the Match went to the defensive trio of Mason, Brown and Jackson. Team - Sarah Bottomley (GS), Nina Warren (GA), Jo Holt (WA), Rebecca Sims (WA (sub), Laura Owen (C), Tamsin Mason (WD), Samantha Brown (GD), Beth Jackson (GK) This week’s East Midlands Netball Regional League, Division 2 game (07/10/12) saw Falcons Yellow retain the circle defence of Samantha Brown and Tamsin Mason, with Melanie Brennan stepping in at Wing Defence. Upfront saw a new attacking line up of Keri Moorhouse (Goal Shooter), Nina Warren (Goal Attack), Jo Holt (Wing Attack) and Laura Owen (Centre), with Liz Stevenson starting on the bench.
It was easy to see from the first whistle that this would be a tough match for Falcons Yellow. Grasshopper Netball Club did not give an inch during the first quarter and so Falcons Yellow had to work hard and keep their nerve to stay in touching distance of a well-drilled and organised Grasshopper team. By the end of the first quarter, Falcons Yellow trailed by just eight goals to eleven (8-11). Falcons Yellow brought on a new Goal Keeper in Liz Stevenson and moved Tamsin Mason out to Wing Defence. The team pressed Grasshopper more during the second quarter, determined to turnaround the deficit. Falcons Yellow’s shooting duo of Moorhouse and Warren also shot more consistently, meaning Falcons Yellow went into the half time break with their noses in front 23-20, having won the quarter 15 – 8. The game was by no means over though. Falcons Yellow had to maintain their concentration and discipline throughout the third quarter, as Grasshopper continued to snap at their heels. However, Falcons Yellow’s great attacking play and the fantastic shooting of Moorhouse and Warren meant that they increased their lead by five goals. The score at the end of the third quarter was 34-29. Falcons Yellow made one change for the final quarter. Melanie Brennan replaced Laura Owen who once again had had a fine game and demonstrated her flair and tenacity as a netball player. Most pleasing for the Falcons Yellow team in the final quarter was how strongly the team finished the game. Fresh legs in the middle of the court alongside some superb defending, accurate shooting and general attacking play meant Falcons Yellow ended the game as they had started. Falcons Yellow increased their lead in this quarter and Grasshopper could not close the gap. Falcons Yellow eventually won the game 49-36 but this was by no means an easy win. Even after an absence of two years for both players, Stevenson’s and Moorhouse’s performances meant that they were in contention for ‘Player of the Match.’ However, in the end this accolade went to Moorhouse for her all-round play and shooting accuracy under immense pressure from a strong Grasshopper defence. Kerri Moorhouse (GS), Nina Warren (GA), Jo Holt (WA), Laura Owen (C), Melanie Brennan (WD/C), Samantha Brown (GD), Tamsin Mason (GK/WD), Liz Stevenson (GK)
Due to illness and unavailability, Falcons Yellow took to the court in the East Midlands Netball Regional League Division 2 game at Loughborough University’s Netball Centre this week (30/09/12) with a squad of just seven players.
The team was pitched against young and agile Sleaford Barge players from Lincolnshire, who were no pushover and took the game to the Falcons Yellow seven. The match got off to an intense start, which set the tone for the remainder of the game. Initially Sleaford Barge nosed in front by two goals but this only seemed to fire Falcons Yellow up, who ended the first quarter five goals to the good at 15 -10. The second quarter saw a tightly contested game with Sleaford Barge pushing Falcons Yellow all the way to close the gap. However, Falcons Yellow kept their cool in the shooting circle to win the quarter 12-10 and take a 27-20 advantage into the second half. Unlike Falcons Yellow, Sleaford could call on players from their bench to provide fresh legs for the start of the third quarter and this is exactly what they did. The only switching Falcons Yellow could manage was a tactical one where Sarah Bottomley and Nina Warren swapped their shooting positions. It also meant that Falcons Yellow’s defensive line, which was new for this match, remained unchanged. However, by the way the Falcons Yellow ladies played in the third quarter, it would have appeared as though the team had played in their respective positions since the beginning of the season. Although the Sleaford attack was shooting well, Falcons Yellow worked hard and kept the pressure on, meaning their took the third quarter 15-14 and went into the last quarter 42 -34 ahead. The final quarter saw Sleaford come out fighting again and really tested Falcons Yellow to their limit. Understandably, Falcons Yellow’s legs were tiring to the point where the score was an extremely tight 45-44 in Falcons Yellow’s favour. Sleaford Barge created a couple of good opportunities to draw level and even get their noses in front with only a few minutes left but luckily for Falcons Yellow, both Tamsin Mason and Samantha Brown made some crucial and timely interceptions to keep their side ahead. The attacking combination of Laura Owen (C) and Weller Howard (WA) also kept their cool during the remaining minutes and used the ball well to give Falcon Yellows’ two shooters the chances they needed to convert the all-important goals and give Falcons some breathing space. Under extreme pressure from a very good Sleaford defence, Falcons scored enough goals to hold onto their lead, coming out eventual winners, with a score 53-48. This was a compelling match that could have gone either way in the end but it was not necessarily easy-viewing for either side’s bench. Even though Falcons Yellow came out on top, probably the biggest winner was the Regional League Division 2 itself as level of play from both teams was outstanding. Once again the trio in defence receive players of the match. Team – Sarah Bottomley (GS), Nina Warren (GA), Weller Howard (WA), Laura Owen (C), Rebecca Simms (WD), Samantha Brown (GD), Tamsin Mason (GK). |
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