Fiat Netball Superleague-Celtic Dragons 55-Loughborough Lightning 48
The FIAT Netball Superleague's live TV game on Thursday live TV game a Round 14 encounter between Celtic Dragons and Loughborough Lightning - which means both teams will play Round 13 this weekend, (actually it’s back to back games for the Dragons who start early against TeamBath on Friday). So although we've started Round 14 we're going back to play 13 this weekend... who says the fixtures are confusing?
Before we get into that let’s find out how the Dragons consolidated 5th place by beating Loughborough Lightning to improve on their already best-ever Superleague season.
Fast out of the blocks Dragons swooped into a 15-12 lead after 15 minutes, by half time they led 28-20. Lightning joined the party in the second half winning the third quarter but only by one, and with honours even in the final period it was the home side that prevailed.
After the match, Celtic Dragons Head coach Melissa Hyndman had plenty of good things to say about her side’s performance: “I was really pleased with way we kept out composure right through to the end. We were always in front and had to fight all the way.”
Hyndman thought the secret of their success was their defensive game. “Sophie (Morgan) was player of the match and had a great game but so did Steph (Williams) she had a boomer of a game and really contained Becky James - who hates to lose more than me I think.”
And there was a good word for the umpires too after the coach blasted officials in the last game “All I wanted fair game and that’s what I got tonight. Fair play to the umpires.”
It is a quick turnaround for Celtic who play TeamBath 24 hours after starting against Lightning and there’s plenty at stake.
Loughborough will be disappointed not to have been able to take the points and build on the massive advantage they gave themselves by beating TeamBath. Both sides have Played 7 Won 5 which means Lightning and Dragons are level on points but Celtic are 5th as a not so massive goal average of 1.04 (to Loughborough’s 1.00) puts them in front.
