ROUND 9 of the Vitality Netball Superleague saw a lot of unconventionally close matches, showing the growth of less experienced sides since the beginning of the season. Meanwhile, the 2019 ladder did not change with the outcomes of this week’s results, proving the closeness of the competition as we edge closer to the midway point of the season.

The Saracens Mavericks once again staked their claim on the competition defeating the Strathclyde Sirens by a whopping 30 goals. After an even first quarter, Mavericks pulled away finishing with a margin of 38 – 68. It was goal for goal in the first term with the Sirens going into the second quarter up by a goal, before an onslaught from the star-studded Mavericks saw the away side take control of the match. The Sirens only shot 14 goals in the second half compared to the Mavericks’ 36, proving there was no coming back for the already struggling Sirens. Mavericks player of the match, George Fisher once again stood out in goals, shooting 36/38 (95 per cent). She showed her versatility moving into goal attack to make room for Karyn Bailey in goal shooter (20/22 at 91 per cent), while Lindsay Keable put on a clinic in the defensive circle, staking a claim on a starting position in defence. Sasha Corbin displayed her excellent vision with her pinpoint passes into the goal circle. The Sirens were missing star shooter, Cat Tuivaiti to injury, but the end score just goes to show that the side still needs to learn to hold up when missing key ball movers. Despite the momentum being all for the Sirens in the opening term, the Mavericks had the experience to wrestle it back to take control. Gia Abernethy showed off her running ability through the midcourt, constantly ready for the ball and creating opportunities from intercepts. Nicola McCleery paired well in wing attack with Abernethy, getting onto the edge of the circle to feed into shooters, Beth Goodwin and Lynsey Gallagher worked tirelessly, while Hayley Mulheron did not stop down back for the Sirens.

Game two of Round 9 saw the Celtic Dragons take on Loughborough Lightning in a game that could have seriously hindered the Lightning’s chances in the top 5. The Lightning made sure it would not be an issue, shooting 19 goals in the first quarter on their way to a 13 goal win (57 – 70). Despite the loss, the Dragons have some good moments to pull from when going into the next round of the competition, especially from the final quarter margin which saw the Dragons beat the Lightning 17-16. It was the Dragons’ defence that appeared to be the issue, with the Lightning managing two 19 goal quarters for the game, proving consistency is still an issue for the Dragons. Meanwhile, Lightning will be confident going into the next stages of the competition sitting on four wins in a row. Nia Jones was dominant at times in wing defence, shutting down movement around the goal circle and giving circle defender and Jamaican import, Stacian Facey opportunities to pick up the loose ball. Facey and fellow defender, Dee Bolakoro applied great arms over pressure in the goal circle, helping to shut down movement and disrupt space. However the duo could not stop the volume of shots put up by Lightning shooters, Mary Cholhok and Lightning player of the match, Ella Clark. Lightning centre, Jess Shaw showed great patience feeding into the circle, working well with the shooting pair to find space for a shot. Lightning’s teamwork was monumental, generating turnovers from the Dragons and creating issues in the midcourt.

Manchester Thunder hosted the Surrey Storm, showing the competition why they are so highly rated after another big win, beating the sixth ranked Storm 66 – 42. The 22 goal win did not come easy in the beginning, as the Storm matched Thunder in the first term, only coming into the second term down by one goal. It was the Storm’s second and third quarter efforts however that let the Thunder take full control, as they shot only 16 goals to the Thunder’s 35. Thunder’s 20 goal third term cemented the match, as they once again proved their strength against a lower ladder side. Three players made their way off court from injury in the physical matchup, with Storm’s Mikki Austin and Nicole Humphrys, and Thunder’s Caroline O’Hanlon subbed off. With both starting centres – Austin and O’Hanlon – off court for most of the match, there were a number of unforeseen issues on court for both sides. Thunder arguably handled positional changes better than the Storm, who suffered in the middle thirds trying to recover the connection they missed without Austin on court. Prior to her injury, O’Hanlon was excellent pairing with wing attack, Liana Liota and goal attack, Ellie Cardwell, who made her presence felt in the goal circle as she came on at half time, with her timing in the circle a key feature of her game.

A big game changer for the competition saw the Severn Stars come close to beating Wasps Netball, only going down by seven goals. It was a tight game for both teams, with neither side able to break away convincingly throughout the match. Defensively, both sides were stellar, showing the value of the competition as a pathway for future national players. The Wasps held a lead for most of the match, but were certainly shown up at times by the young Stars squad on a mission. Despite a ten goal deficit at half time, the Stars refused to give up, pushing the Wasps further than their ladder ranking (8th) would suggest. Georgia Rowe was dominant under the ring as always for the Stars, while defender, Jodi-Ann Ward defended the circle with intent, maintaining constant pressure on the Wasps shooters at the other end. Sam Cook was another standout for the the Stars, showcasing her hands over pressure when it mattered, notching up intercepts through the early stages of the match. Bongi Msomi once again proved her necessity to the Wasps’ attack as she fed the ball cleanly to Rachel Dunn and Katie Harris in goals despite the immense defensive pressure. Centre, Jade Clarke was named Wasps player of the match for her consistency and cleanliness through the midcourt.

The final match of the round saw London Pulse pull out all the shots against fifth ranked Team Bath, coming agonisingly close to their second win for the season as they went down by a mere four points, 60 – 64. It was the Pulse’s 18 goal final quarter that almost won them the match, however consistency was an issue for the rest of the game, as they played well but could not capitalise in the early stages. On the other hand, Bath seemed to be on their way to a convincing win, before dropping all guard in the final quarter, only shooting ten goals and coming close to defeat after a dominant 19-goal third term. Team Bath midcourter and England Rose, Serena Guthrie finally made her return to the side from injury, injecting confidence back into the squad in the early stages of the match and boosting the defensive midcourt from one level to the next as Imogen Allison, Eboni Usoro-Brown and Summer Artman caused issues for Pulse’s attack. Goal shooter, Kim Commane was prolific at the post, shooting at 95 per cent accuracy, while wing attack, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis was named Bath player of the match for her well timed feeds and deflections. Throughout the match it was maintaining possession of the ball that seemed to be the main problem for Pulse, with shooters, Chiara Semple and Shantal Slater proving that accuracy at the post was not an issue. Semple made her claim for a consistent full game in goal attack, pairing impeccably with Slater, who was only subbed off in the final stages of the match for young gun, Olivia Tchine. Team Bath have struggled on court in recent weeks, with dominant patches here and there finally rewarding the side with victory, but proving there is still plenty to work on.