TIGERS MAINTAIN THEIR WINNING STREAK WITH A CONVINCING VICTORY OVER SILHOUETTES
Silhouettes 19, LNC Tigers 47
Starting Line-up: GK Lucy Smale, GD Vicki Hastings, WD Holly Lemon, C Emma Dalton, WA Jo Glossop, GA Amie Hoskin, GS Sophie Hocking. Res. Julia Eldridge, Kirstie Chappell & Christina Broad.
Liskeard Tigers travelled to St Austell to meet Silhouettes in the hope of doing the double and maintaining 3rd place in the division. Despite a convincing win against the side last month Tigers didn’t want to become complacent and let mistakes creep into their game.
The teams both started tentatively and matched goal for goal for the beginning of the period. However, with Silhouettes having scored 5 goals the Tigers upped their defensive play and ensured no more goals were scored for the rest of the quarter. With rebounds and interceptions from both Smale and Hastings the ball continued to find its way to the Tigers shooters who both began on excellent form with just 3 missed attempts. 10 goals with no reply from Silhouettes gave Liskeard the first quarter win at 17-5.
Silhouettes made several changes for the second, with their stronger shooter moving into the circle. This unsettled the Tigers and it was a low scoring quarter all round. Lemon and Glossop disrupted the mid court play, picking off interceptions where possible. Fewer attempts at goal from Hocking meant GA Hoskin had to lead the play with lots of movement off the ball in order to create the chances. Again Hoskin netted all but 1 goal to keep Liskeard in front, going into half-time 24-9.
An ankle injury to Lemon saw Liskeard make their own changes for this period. Eldridge came off the bench into WA and Glossop moved back to defence. In spite of the changes Liskeard had a strong quarter. Both Hastings and Eldridge picked off interceptions throughout the court and Liskeard had total control of the match. Reduced attempts at goal with few being converted meant Smale could feed the ball out of the circle and up towards the attack. The partnership work of Hocking and Hoskin was excellent, supporting each other in the circle and boosting the whole side. More shooting opportunities for both girls kept Liskeard in front, winning the quarter by 8 goals.
With the strong lead Liskeard welcomed Kirstie Chappell back into the side following injury and Captain Lemon returned to the court. It was a tentative start to the quarter in the shooting circle but partnering well with Hocking, Chappell began to find the form the side had previously been used to. Silhouettes again changed their shooting pairing but this didn’t disturb Hastings or Smale. Patient, possessional play from defence into the mid court meant Liskeard could maintain their lead and not throw away silly passes or make mistakes. Lemon supported the attack and despite fewer converted goals, the Tigers won the quarter 10-5 to record their best win of the season so far.
A strong performance by the side was commended by both their opposition and the umpires. The Tigers were all pleased with the match and particularly the changes they were able to try out. Player of the Match was awarded to Amie Hoskin for her movement in and around the circle and excellent shooting, netting 80% of her attempts at goal.
Tigers now have to prepare for their second game of the week, they will face Saints 4 at Lux Park on Thursday.
PANTHERS LOSE OUT IN CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH LASTONET 4
Lastonet [4] 27, LNC Panthers 24
Panthers made the journey to Cornwall College wanting to make an impact on their opponents Lastonets 4. After winning their original home match Panthers were confident they could pull a performance out of the bag.
Due to Amy Greenbank being unavailable Panthers starting line up consisted of: GK Kay Barker, GD Lauren Finch, WD Sophie Thomas, C Julia Eldridge, WA Emma Dunn, GA Gabi Duffey, GS Christina Broad Res. Louise Piner and Maria Jordan.
Liskeard started positively, gaining their first couple of nets without reply and settling in with the change in mid court. Thomas provided the attack with strong passing and support and Finch and Barker kept any counteract play at bay, the quarter finishing 5 - 7 in Panthers’ favour.
Louise Piner replaced Thomas in WD in the second quarter and with the game theirs for the taking Panthers took to the court. With a few team nerves and some good mid court play, Lastonets crept back into the scoring run and with some passing errors from Panthers, the home side ended the half with a 14 - 12 lead.
Panthers remained unchanged for the third quarter and with some great feeding from Dunn into Duffey and Broad, they started to come back into the game. Finch and Piner provided great support for the back passing so as not to give possession away. Lastonets were able to turn the ball over and lead the attack down the court, Barker had to up her game with some fantastic defending, providing many interceptions and tips to push the GS out. However, the Lastonet GS really found her form shooting from almost every angle on the edge of the circle and netting every ball leading Panthers into the last quarter down by just one goal 18-19.
Panthers were fighting for the win but with having to pass back and work for each other in a crowded mid court they ended up with a few interceptions. Again great shooting from Latsonets gave them a 27-21 lead going into the last dying minutes. Piner however held her own and provided Dunn and Eldridge with some great attacking opportunities. Duffey capitalised on 3 goals on the bounce but with the final whistle the game ended 27-24.
Emma Dunn received player of the match for her relentless support up and down the court.
TIGERS DO THE DOUBLE OVER STORM 2
Storm [2] 37, Liskeard Tigers 43
Liskeard Tigers travelled to Camborne on Friday evening to meet Storm 2. Despite winning the home fixture before Christmas, the visiting side were nervous as they knew Storm would want to avenge the defeat. In addition, the Tigers were without Vicki Hastings so had to change their defence, Captain Holly Lemon returning to GD and Lauren Finch stepping up from Panthers into WD.
Starting Line-up: GK Lucy Smale, GD Holly Lemon, WD Lauren Finch, C Julia Eldridge, WA Jo Glossop, GA Amie Hoskin, GS Sophie Hocking. Res. Emma Dalton, Christina Broad & Kay Barker.
Liskeard started strong, netting 5 goals with no reply, but Storm soon settled into the game and began to claw back the deficit. Play was fast up and down the court and at the end of the quarter the teams were level at 11-11.
Emma Dalton replaced Eldridge at the start of the second period and worked hard with WA Jo Glossop to work the ball into the shooting circle. The Tigers soon found themselves 5 goals in front again, but the strong Storm defence caused problems for GA Amie Hoskin and GS Sophie Hocking. Despite their hard work in training, their play was being read and the defenders began to gain the upper hand. Storm scored 5 in a row towards the end of the period to take a one goal lead, leaving the score 22-21 at half-time.
The Tigers were flustered in their team talk, desperately wanting the win and needing to focus on their own game. GK Lucy Smale and GD Holly Lemon worked hard in defence, Lemon tipping interceptions wherever possible and Smale restricting the GS to only long-range shots. The turnovers boosted the side and the ball was fed swiftly down the court for more chances at goal. WD Lauren Finch backed up the attack, allowing the team to keep possession and increase their shooting opportunities, netting 10 goals to Storm’s 8 giving them a 31-30 lead going into the last.
Just one goal ahead, the Tigers knew they needed to remain calm in order to see out the win. Storm came out ready to pull back the score and were physical in their play but this didn’t unsettle the Tigers. Rebounds from Smale, along with Lemon and Finch supporting the forward play meant Hocking and Hoskin could take control of the shooting circle. Excellent partnership play ensured they netted their shots, Hoskin converting 8 out of 9 attempts, to give Liskeard a well deserved win.
Fantastic play in the dying minutes, with 3 goals on the bounce, meant that Storm were kept to just the one losing bonus point - the final score 43 - 37 to the Tigers.
Player of the Match was awarded to Sophie Hocking for her persistence in attack and excellent shooting against a very strong defence.
PANTHERS ON A ROLE WITH A CONVINCING WIN AGAINST CONNECT 3
LNC Panthers 36, Connect [3] 8
Starting line up: GK Kay Barker, GD Lauren Finch, WD Amy Greenbank, C Julia Eldridge, WA Emma Dunn, GA Gabi Duffey, GS Christina Broad. Res Kirstie Chappell & Maria Jordan
Hoping to continue their winning streak, Panthers took to the court confident that they could continue where they left off last week.
It was a slow start with both teams struggling to find any rhythm. GA Gabi Duffey netted a couple of goals in quick succession and this boosted the Panthers, the team began to work the ball well around the court and by the end of the quarter had managed to build a 10-1 lead.
Unchanged for the second period, Panthers continued to dominate. They defended hard all over the court causing many turnover balls which they were able to feed into the shooters. WD Amy Greenbank and GD Lauren Finch worked well together to keep out the GA and with GK Kay Barker putting pressure on the GS, Steelers were only able to add 3 goals compared to the Panthers’ 10, giving the home side a very healthy 20 - 4 lead going into to the second half.
Emma Dunn came off at half time due to an ankle injury so Maria Jordan came on at WA and Kirstie Chappell replaced Barker at GK. Liskeard had to work a lot harder during this quarter, some sloppy passes and silly mistakes gave Steelers more possession allowing them to work the ball into their shooting circle. However, with GS Christina Broad on fine form at the other end, they were able to settle and again furthered their lead, going into the last quarter with a 20 goal lead at 27 - 7.
More changes for the last saw Chappell move to GA, Duffey out to WA and Barker back on at GK. With the game all but won Panthers could have let their standards slip but they worked hard right to the end. Chappell & Broad formed an immediate partnership, working the ball well around the circle, and with some fantastic defending from Barker and Finch only conceding one goal, Panthers saw out the game for an impressive 36 - 8 win.
Player of the Match was awarded to Lauren Finch for her strong defending and hard work throughout.
COUGARS SUFFER HEAVY DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF LEAGUE LEADER CSM
CSM Netball 60, LNC Cougars 11
Cougars made the long journey to Penryn to play Division 6 high flyers CSM with some trepidation. Despite fielding a full strength team plus 2 reserves Cougars soon found themselves 7 goals down before GS Vicky Ford was able to net the first goal from her first attempt. CSM continued to press forward ending the first quarter with a 12 goal lead at 4 - 16.
Cougars remained unchanged for the second quarter and this was to be the best quarter for the visiting side. GD Rachael Congdon and GK Debbie Drinkell made the two CSM shooters work hard for their goals. Centre Siobhan Howe & WA Kerry Elliott were able to feed the ball into the Cougars shooting circle and GA Emma Thomas worked the circle well to add 5 goals and keep the team in touching distance of the half score bonus point.
Louise Piner and Congdon were rested for the 3rd, with Drinkell moving to GD and Lynn Webb and Sophie Thomas coming on at GK and WD respectively. They soon got into the game with Thomas working hard to double mark the energetic CSM GA but the home side again upped the tempo, capitalising on some careless Cougar passes and took the game well out of the reach of the visitors.
With nothing left to play for Cougars used the last quarter to experiment with other partnerships. Webb replaced Vicky ford at GS, Elliot moved to C, and Louise Piner went to WA. Despite recording a very heavy defeat, 60 - 11, the Cougar team were upbeat and had enjoyed playing against a very good opposition.
Player of the match was awarded to captain Debbie Drinkell.
PANTHERS BACK TO WINNING WAYS WITH VICTORY OVER CONNECT
LNC Panthers 39, Connect [3] 30
Starting line up: GK Kay Barker, GD Lauren Finch, WD Amy Greenbank, C Julia Eldridge, WA Emma Dunn, GA Gabi Duffey, GS Christina Broad. Res Kirstie Chappell & Rachael Congdon
After starting the new year with a run of close defeats, Panthers went into their home match vs Connect 3 determined to get back to winning ways.
Eager to prove themselves, they took to the court and immediately set the tone for the game, netting the first four goals on the bounce. GA Gabi Duffy and GS Christina Broad worked hard with some fantastic court play and accurate shooting to give them a 13-6 lead after the first period.
Going into the second period, Kirstie Chappell, making a welcome return for the club after injury, replaced Barker at GK. Panthers continued to work the ball well through the mid-court, but with both Connect shooters on fine form they began to claw their way back into the game and with some silly passing errors from Liskeard they were able to win the quarter 10-8, reducing Panthers lead to just 5 goals.
After a re-group at half time, bringing Rachael Congdon on at WD and Barker back into GK, Panthers came out with a renewed energy and really began to dominate. GD Lauren Finch had the measure of the GA and worked well with Barker to ensure Connect had limited chances at goal. Liskeard defended well all over the court and were able to turnover numerous balls and feed them into the shooters, and with Panthers GS Christina Broad netting all of her 8 attempts at goal they began to pull away again, winning the quarter 11-5, giving them a 32-21 lead going into the last.
With WD Amy Greenbank and Chappell returning to the court for the final period, Panthers were determined to see the game out for the win. They worked hard to keep possession and slow the game down. Chappell tightly marked out the strong GS, allowing her just 3 attempts at goal and although the GA stepped up netting some superb long range shots to win the quarter for her team, Liskeard had done enough and won the game 39 - 30.
Gabi Duffy and Christina Broad were awarded joint player of the match for their superb play in the shooting circle, their hard work in training was evident throughout the game and they are really starting to look like a partnership to be reckoned with.
Pictures by Glen Rogers
COUGARS UNABLE TO OVERCOME LASTONET’S 5TH STRING
Lastonet [5] 43 - 23 LNC Cougars
Starting Line up: GK Lynn Webb, GD Debbie Drinkell, WD Sophie Thomas, C Siobhan Howe, WA Kerry Elliott, GA Louise Piner, GS Vicky Ford. Res Maria Jordan
Liskeard Cougars could not build on their win from last week, losing out to Lastonet 5 at Cornwall College.
With regular GA Emma Thomas absent through a shoulder injury, versatile Louise Piner stepped up to pair with GS Vicky Ford in the shooting circle but from the outset the visitors struggled to match the fast pace of Lastonet and Cougars soon found themselves 6 goals down. With few opportunities to work the ball in the circle Cougars were relieved to get their first goal of the game. This settled the attack and Cougars were able to match the home side for the remainder of the period, finishing the quarter trailing 6-12.
The team remained unchanged for the second quarter and upped the tempo to try and match their opponents. There was however no let up in the defensive circle with GD Debbie Drinkell and GK Lynn Webb working hard to limit the taller Lastonet Shooters. WD Sophie Thomas defended well linking any interceptions to C Siobhan Howe and Cougars ended the quarter 12-22.
Maria Jordan stepped into WD for the third quarter and immediately made her presence known, double marking the Lastonet GA and intercepting a rare lose pass from the home team. Cougars built on this and had a stunning period of play. Long range shots from Ford and Piner finding the net meant Cougars came close to really impacting on the Lastonet lead. This was not to last however and Lastonet soon rallied to win the period 6-8, taking a 12 goal lead into the last.
Cougars’ energy and commitment to the game could not be faulted and despite being in a losing position, they continued to fight to ensure they got the well deserved bonus point. Lastonet proved to be worthy opponents though and were able to close out the match winning 23 - 43.
Player of the match was awarded to Kerry Elliott for her tenacity in attack.