Netball 1s secure first victories of the season

The first team had to wait 3 games to taste victory, but it was definitely worth it. Pre-ACC matches always have an extra sense of excitement but the home game at Heston against St Mary’s was the 1s first cup game and had a great atmosphere before the match even started. In the first quarter the game stayed tight at 11-6, with a relatively new team not used to playing together. Impressive defensive displays from Kath, Filippa and Annie in the second quarter ensured St Mary’s only scored two goals in the second quarter.

The game got progressively louder as the collective confidence of the team grew. The attacking side, bolstered by new members in both the mid court and shooting sections, capitalised on this by gaining a substantial advantage in goal difference thanks to some great shooting. The third quarter tightened the score slightly with stamina always being an issue at the start of the season. Luckily (or unluckily depending on your outlook) the clubs’ new coaches have increased the focus on fitness in training, with the team recovering their form in the final quarter, stretching out their lead and breaking the 50-goal target set at half time. Everyone played well but St Mary’s selected GS/GA Maddie as player of the match. Overall, the performance exhibits good teamwork within the 1s and bodes well for the future. Final score 53-21. Post match pizza isn’t only reserved for Leicester City Football Club!

Monday’s match, the first to be hosted at Ethos, was a much tougher affair both physically and mentally. Opposition team Royal Holloway are always a challenge so the team did well not to be intimidated by what became a loud match. Our psychological game was greatly improved by the presence of our coach Yasmin. The first quarter featured a strong attack and Imperial built up a commanding lead. However, the rest of the match was very much a defensive game, with all players working on keeping up intensity and staying close to the opposition. Again, the pace of the match started to take its toll, with fitness stopping some of the more ambitious plays but everyone did well to dig deep and continue fighting. The work of both the defensive and mid court players allowed shooter Charlotte to maintain the lead through some great shooting – remaining calm under mounting pressure. The player of the match unsurprisingly was the GK captain Kath, who pushed for every turnover with an impressively high success rate, especially in the second half of the match. 43-36 final score.