Team Bath teach Dragons a lesson in the Fiat Netball Super League
After delivering a Master-class to Celtic Dragons on Friday, TeamBath were teaching the young guns of Team Northumbria a thing or two on Sunday in the second part of their FIAT Netball Superleague double- header weekend.
It was a mauling at 73-36, it’s not easy to disguise the margin between the two sides in terms of experience and youth but Team Northumbria’s under 19s were given a great opportunity to see it needs to move in the higher echelons of netball in the UK.
The Newcastle-based franchise are right at the beginning of their quest to create netballing excellence in the north-east and this season is very much about learning as much as possible, even it the lessons can be hard to take.
Today’s teachers TeamBath are long in the tooth when it comes to building a netball heritage, the multiple champions ran through their drills, turned over the ball and and converted their shooting opportunities, exactly as it would be suggested in Chapter 1 of How to Win at Netball.”
“It was a very pleasing part two to the double header,” admitted head coach Jess Garland, who rang the changes from the starting seven to the final whistle and was rewarded with results all round. Her years of coaching at the top level once again appear to be paying off in the run-in.
“It was good to consolidate and reinforce our performance on Friday and great to put out different combinations with minimal disruption to our game and the outcome,” she added at the end of the match.
“Our kids were really exposed out there today,” said Team Northumbria coach Tracey Neville who’s in her first year as a Superleague head coach and is charged with bringing through a new generation of players. “It’s a big score-line but my players did really well.
“We’re missing a few (players) and I thought my under 19’s stepped up Leah Kennedy had a great game and I was glad to get Jade Johnson on, she only started playing the game last year and had a chance now Nat’s (Connor) not available. Amanda Newton didn’t get picked up until she was 18 so hopefully we can do the same with Jade. But it’s fair to say the “kids” got a lesson they’ll never forget.
“TeamBath are a great squad and they really did a number on us but in the last few minutes of the quarters we were scoring goals, it was taking us too long to adapt and we were throwing the ball away.”
And Neville admitted being envious of the talent at Garland’s disposal, “There are more than a couple of players we would like at Northumbria. Stacey Francis is one of the best players in the country and it’s great to see how well Rosie Allison is developing. She’s a good girl, wants to learn and is strong, it as good to see her on court.”
