Grand final agony for Lightning

LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning suffered Grand Final heartbreak on Sunday when they missed out on becoming the 2017 tality Netball Superleague champions.

Having won all but one of their matches this season, Lightning were the first to confirm their place in the weekend’s Final Four playoffs at Birmingham.

They swept aside Team Bath 66-45 on Saturday to book their place in the final against Wasps - the only team to beat Loughborogh in the regular season.

Loughborough went into the game as favourites against a new franchise in its debut season but the Wasps came out on top in a gripping affair, running out 55-51 winners to prevent Lightning becoming the first regular season winners to lift the title.

It is the best season the Loughborough Lightning franchise has ever had and after the game head coach Karen Atkinson paid tribute to her team.

““I think the start of the season was amazing, getting on the roll, one from one, then two from two, it was so hard to believe from one week to the next.

“I don’t think anyone could have predicted that at the start of the season, we weren’t really spoken about, everyone was talking about Bath and Wasps and I think they underestimated us.

“The final could’ve gone either way. Getting the win would have been the icing on the cake.

“I’m still so proud of the squad this year in all that we’ve achieved.”

For a full match report, turn to page 84.