Plenty of goals at Guildford, in Round 7 of the FIAT Netball
Superleague, as Surrey Storm beat Leeds Carnegie 77-49, set a new
record top-flight tally. An excellent start by the visitors, was
boosted by a messy and mistake ridden beginning by Storm. Although
not a sell-out, it was a healthy crowd of around 900 watching the
action at the Surrey Sports Park, including England and Harlequins
rugby hunk Ugo Monye, and TV’s Tim Lovejoy, whose twin daughters were
introducing him to netball for the first time.
It was the visitors who piled on the pressure in the first seven
minutes of the quarter and took the lead 7-6, after an early exchange
of goals. Sharp, accurate passing down the court, saw the team from
the north-east calling the shots with Jo Walker and Rachel Shaw
landing them. Storm’s mid-court mis-firing halted shortly after Leeds
took the lead and with Rachel Dunn peppering the post from distance it
was Storm who regained the initiative and went into the first quarter
break 12-7 in front.
Storm calmed their approach in the second quarter and it allowed them
to treble their advantage with a flurry of early goals. Rachel Dunn
and Gemma Cosentino got moving around the D, which sent Lauren
Potter’s pony-tail frantically flapping at times and created plenty of
space. However instead of consolidating that 15 goal head of steam,
Storm slowed up and Carnegie came back at them, narrowing the margin
to 6.
The pace was slower in the third quarter, although the flow of goals
continued on both sides. The defence on both teams was largely
ineffective but Storm “made hay”
and took the quarter 19-13 to lead 54-37.
Another 18 shots for Rachel Dunn and 17 despatched in the final
period, in what turned out to be a match all about the shooters. Dunn
netted 60 from 66 - that’s 91% accuracy, her GA team-mate Gemma
Costentino 85% (17 from 20). Leeds had a hefty haul too, Rachel Shaw
at goal-attack 22 from 27 (81%); Jo Walker netted 27 from 34, that’s
79% but ended her evening with a scream, after landing badly on her
ankle. After receiving treatment and pain relieving gas, court-side,
Jo was stretchered off to hospital.
QUOTES:
Surrey Storm, Head Coach Mary Beardwood. “We’re coming to the boil
now, it’s coming along nicely, our attacking down the court was
absolutely superb.
Leeds stuck at it and obviously, they attacked well as they got 49. I
never felt it was easy for us. They were like terriers and they were
there all the time.”
Head coach of Leeds Carnegie, Lisa Ferneyhough “It was an attacking
game tonight, it was a shooting game and unfortunately our defence
decided to stay at home. We just couldn’t bring any turnover
whatsoever. Rachel [Dunn] was formidable but we didn’t do anything to
make that otherwise.”
TV’s Tim Lovejoy [Something for the Weekend and Soccer Am] “My twin
daughters, Grace and Rose have just started playing netball and
they’re getting good at it, so I thought I’d bring them to a proper
match to show them how it’s done properly. They’ve tried to explain
the rules to me, because I have no idea what’s going on - the refs
just blow the whistle a lot. I’m really impressed actually. I played
a lot of basketball as a kid - the speed they’re getting the ball up
and down the court is phenomenal.”
