Brownfield helps Mavericks storm to play off win

Mavericks started this Co-operative Netball Superleague play-off with pep. From the first centre, theirs,  start you got the feeling they wanted to get the win in the bag as soon as possible  and for six and a half minutes Leeds Carnegie were left reeling.  Louisa Brownfield plays a very ranging game when she’s in the goal-shooter bib - she’s not one of those looming types lurking hopeful of a pass under the post.  This shooter goes out and gets the ball, it’s like having two goal-attacks at times and perhaps explains how Mavericks pull off  their slick 1-2-3 from the centre pass - it’s text book when it works.  Today it worked for two of the four quarters both in the first half.  It took more than 8 and a half minutes for Leeds Carnegie to get in the game, they were trailing 10-3 when they stepped up the work-rate and started forcing errors from the home-side which helped make the deficit just 3 by the time the end of quarter whistle went.

Naida Hutchinson made her impact on the game in the second quarter a player who looks so solid under the posts that it’s no surprise to see her unmoved as shooters looking for contact penalties bounce off her.  Carnegie’s outstanding Amanda Martin was not given the chance to play the game her way at the Sports Village, she made the most of the possession she had but it was slim pickings with Hutchinson hungry for the ball.  In front of an enthusiastic if a little shy crowd Mavericks extended their advantage to 13 by half time.

There were two very different styles of play on the court today, Leeds favoured short fast passes that lacked the fluidity that helped Mavericks move down the court quicker but worked better in the early part of the sticky third quarter.  We had long passages of passing, from one centre circle to the other, Mavericks must have thought there was cling-film on their hoop as Clarke and Brownfield lobbed their shots only to have the ball roll around the inside and outside of the ring  without dropping.  It became more physical with the umpires blowing up regularly and the game lost its way a little.

It didn’t have the same momentum in the final quarter either, by then the specatators were expecting the champions to take the defence of their trophy into the semi-final.  For the coaches and players is was a hard grind to the end but you can see for yourselves in the Sky Sports Tv coverage.

Mavericks coach Kendra Slawinki “Leeds gave us a good game we knew it would be a tough challenge they’ve been on the up and up and the hardest thing is that everyone expected us, because of our tradition our history to walk through it.  But it was a tough game and I was pleased with how our athletes approached it.”

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