Third quarter too much for Team Bath
Team Bath Netball were unable to chase down Surrey Storm in their final quarter, after a strong first half, as the final result resulted in a win for Storm, 63-56 at the Team Bath Arena on Saturday.
A strong first half from the Blue & Gold kept them in contention with a deficit of 35-31, as they were cheered on by a crowd of 1,200. However, a feisty third quarter from Storm saw them pull ahead and produce a clear gap at 55-41. Despite the home side fighting hard in the final quarter, they were unable to close the gap.
Asha Francis, Team Bath Netball Super League head coach, said: “It was a great start to the game, but Storm obviously came out harder in the second half.
“They were able to force us into a few more errors.
“I think the bit we are disappointed about is that third quarter and just not having as much energy.
“But a great way to finish the game, going for the ball and turning the game around. We had more confidence driving through in attack, so it was a really positive finish.”
Team Bath came out confidently on home turf against Surrey Storm. A strong start saw them go goal for goal with Storm in the first quarter. Some precise shooting from Sloan Burton and Sophie Kelly, despite intense defensive pressure, led to a high-scoring first quarter of 19-18.
Team Bath applied more defensive pressure throughout the second stanza, with Jayda Pechova providing some crucial interceptions. The first change of the match for Team Bath came as Emma Barrie was introduced at GS, supplying vital points to the scoreboard. This kept the match at 35-31 going into the second half.
Despite this strong start from Team Bath, Surrey Storm pushed back. A feisty start to the second half from Storm saw a string of goals from Proscovia Peace Nwokocha (GS) that Bath struggled to chase.
Training Partner, Lily Jones, made her first home appearance in the third quarter, playing as GA. She executed some great goals that helped Bath in their chase.
With the pressure on, the Blue & Gold responded in the final quarter. The team fought for every ball and drove hard right until the end. There was a strong defence from Pechova and a flurry of goals from Kelly and Barrie. Although Team Bath came out swinging to finish exceptionally well, the scoreboard was not reflective of this, with a final score of 63-56.
Pechova was voted by the fans as winner of Team Bath’s Most Valuable
Player Award, sponsored by Results Body+Mind, and received a bouquet, supplied by Flowers of Bath, from Richard Ingle, the CEO of one of Team Bath’s overall Partners, Bath Building Society.
This match was the first of four home fixtures for Team Bath during a busy month of May, with the league’s top two – Loughborough Lightning and Manchester Thunder – visiting the Team Bath Arena tomorrow (Friday) and Friday, May 24 respectively. The Blue & Gold’s home campaign concludes against Strathclyde Sirens on Friday, May 31 and tickets for all three matches are available at netball.teambath. com/tickets.
Team Bath Netball is supported by Bath Building Society and Rengen Developments, who are both overall Team Bath Partners. Flyhawk supply Team Bath’s performance clothing and off-court apparel.