Grand final defeat for Lightning
VITALITY NETBALL SUPERLEAGUE
GRAND FINAL WASPS 55 LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING 51 IT WAS A case of deja vu for Loughborough Lightning on Saturday as they were beaten by Wasps in Vitality Netball Superleague Grand Final for the second year in a row and an identical 55-51 scoreline.
Heading into the final, both sides had bragging rights, Wasps were eager to defend their title after topping the league this year whilst Lightning, eager to rewrite the heartbreak of last year’s loss, came into the match with 12 consecutive wins behind them.
As the opening whistle sounded both sides were noticeably full of nerves and began the game with a slow but steady pace.
Delivering the ball safely through the court it was Lightning that took an early two point lead with skipper Panagarry sailing the ball past Wasps defence into a raring Proscovia but by the end of the quarter the scores were tied at 12-12.
A determined Lightning side returned for the second quarter with a fire in their bellies. Continuously hassling the opposition and forcing sloppy passes they pushed on once again, but after a number of penalties in the circle it was Wasps who ended the half with a narrow 28-24 advantage.
Both sides fought tooth and nail throughout the entire third quarter to break the gap and get ahead. Despite increased pressure in the shooting circle, Proscovia and Clark worked seamlessly together to pick up rebounds and sink the shots needed to keep Lightning in the game and the deficit was down to three as the game entered the final quarter.
With the memories of last year’s defeat helping to gain momentum, Lightning stormed back in the final quarter, levelling the scores once again with just nine minutes on the clock.
Far from relaxed, Wasps continued to use their defensive prowess to shut down Lightning’s attack, causing the match the heat up and the aggression to spiral. With Wasps pushing ahead by two in the final minutes, the atmosphere in the arena was electric despite many of the crowd holding their breath in anticipation of the final score.
Lightning gave it their all, leaving everything out on the court but it was Wasps who once again claimed the win, as the final buzzer sounded, and successfully defended their title winning 55-51.
As her final outing with the Lightning side before departing from the Head Coach role, Anna Carter had nothing but praise for her squad’s hard work and determination.
“The girls are gutted, as am I and everyone that’s worked with Loughborough this year. We all have so much belief in what they could do and what they were capable of and we were all hopeful that we could take that extra step this year.
“The side are upset right now but that doesn’t take away from the success we’ve had this season, they’ve all grown as people and players, we will now aim to learn from this experience, improve and use it to develop ourselves.”
Captain Nat Panagarry said: “I think getting to the final alone was a massive achievement - I can’t thank the franchise enough for all their support and belief in us, unfortunately it just wasn’t our year again.”
Lightning will now take a well-earned break before returning to court in October to defend their British Fast 5 All Stars crown.