Surrey Storm and Northern Thunder play to the nail in the Fiat Netball Super league
One. Just One. A single solitary goal decided the result of the game between Surrey Storm and Northern Thunder. Sure there were 98 other goals in this FIAT Netball Superleague Round 13 game but it was the 99th that won it for the visitors to the Surrey Sports Park.
With Northern Thunder not keen to partake in the rock and roll entrance that precedes a Storm match, and not happy about the music accompaniment to home side goal scoring but did their talking with a dominant first half performance.
The first quarter was 16-10 to Thunder and then 15-12 in the second which gave then 9 goal lead. Assistant coach for Northern Thunder Suzy Chapman: “The first half we kept to the game plan and played the netball we wanted to play.
“In the 3 and 4th we played some good stuff, as a team errors kept creeping in and they (Storm) were taking advantage.”
It was a game of two halves as Storm upped the pressure and made a contest of the clash. Rachel Dunn was a solid presence under the post returning 90% of her shots as goals. Storm skipper Tamsin Greenway may well feel singled out and have a case of tinnitus after hearing a lot a of whistle on court,
Towards the end of the third quarter there was a major blow for Thunder (and possibly England) as Sara Bayman landed awkwardly on her left knee in a routine catch and release. It was one of those that left the player reeling in teary pain and she played no further part in the match. The centre/wing-defence made her way back to Bury on the back seat of the coach with a physio working on the hurty leg.
Surrey Storm were coming on strong in the final seconds of the game but with Thunder 50-49 ahead it was Emma Dovey (on the day before her 20th birthday) who proved the hero for her side in the final minute. A flying interception and the visitors played keep ball running down the clock to win their game-in-hand on Mavericks and return to the top of the pile.
Mary Beardword, admitted her Storm charges did well was disappointed not to take the win: “We had our opportunities, even right at the start when we went down more than we should have and we paid for that in the end.
“There were still lots of good bits but we need to cut down our errors and to be more consistent in the end which we will be working on in our last couple of matches before the play-offs.”
As for Thunder’s assistant chief Suzy Chapman “We should stick to our game plan rather than over-complicate; we need to think clearly under pressure.”