TIGERS’ HARD WORK PAYS OFF WITH A WIN AGAINST NEWQUAY
NEWQUAY [2] 35 - 49 LNC TIGERS
Starting line up: Kay Barker (GK), Lucy Smale (GD), Holly Lemon (WD), Emma Dalton (C), Jo Nickle (WA), Christina Broad (GA), Kirstie Chappell (GS). Reserves: Erin Beale.
After a close defeat away at Penryn the previous week, Liskeard Tigers were still searching for their first win since early December. Knowing that Newquay 2 were a tough side Tigers were a little nervous but with Cougars winning the early fixture that night confidence was high amongst the club.
Without the injured West, Broad took up the GA bib and Smale moved to GD with Barker back to GK; the rest of the team remained unchanged.
The two teams matched goal for goal for much of the first quarter, as they both settled into the game. Great defence and mid court play meant it was left to both sets of shooters to establish a lead, and Liskeard faired the better, ending the quarter strongly and winning 10-9.
With the two shooters swapping positions and the rest of the team staying the same, the enthusiastic Tigers were ready for the second period. Overturning the Newquay centre pass the momentum was with them, and great shooting from both Chappell and Broad saw 5 goals with no reply from Newquay. Tough circle defence and great partnership working from Smale and Barker controlled the Newquay shooters and kept their attempts to a minimum. Lemon and Smale supported the attack in the mid court and controlled the play to keep possession and maintain the advantage. Tigers won the quarter 13-7, leaving the scores 23-16 at half time.
The third quarter saw the 2 shooters swap back to their original positions and an injury early in the second half to Barker saw Smale drop back to GK and joined by Lemon in the circle, with Beale coming off the bench to WD. Beale settled in quickly; Tigers continued the same great standard of play and were all encouraged by their own performances. Dalton and Glossop fed short, sharp passes into the circle and on form shooting from Broad, who did well stepping up from the Panthers, kept the side in front; doubling the score of Newquay for the period, winning 14-7, and giving them a lead of 37-23 going into the last.
Tigers knew they needed to retain possession in the last quarter and not get excited with the win in sight. The two shooters rotated again for one last time, and the whole team settled in quickly with play. Newquay upped the pressure and caused the turnover but Liskeard fought back. Much like the first period the teams matched their goals but the Tigers had already done the hard work and despite drawing the quarter, they took the win 49-35.
The whole side were pleased with their performance and all commented that it was an enjoyable match for both sides. Player of the Match went to Lucy Smale for her tough defending but also her great mid court support when playing GD.
Captain Chappell said “This was just the morale boost that Tigers needed. Every single player worked so hard and so well tonight, you could tell we all really wanted the win and it was a real team effort. Well done girls!”
TIGERS FIGHT TO THE END FOR THEIR FIRST WIN
LNC TIGERS 35 - 32 SAINTS 4
Starting line up: Lucy Smale (GK), Kay Barker (GD), Holly Lemon (WD), Emma Dalton (C), Jo Nickle (WA), Sarah West (GA), Kirstie Chappell (GS). Reserves: Erin Beale.
Still searching for their first win but pleased with their recent performances, Liskeard Tigers faced Saints 4 at Lux Park. The home side knew Saints would be a well drilled team so didn’t expect an easy match.
Both sides started off well playing goal for goal with excellent shooting from West and Chappell. But missed timings in the mid court, and good shooting from Saints allowed them to edge to a 3-goal lead. The quarter ended 10-13.
Remaining unchanged for the second period the Tigers started strong. Defensively Barker had the measure of the GA who had no attempts at goal during the whole quarter. The young GS kept Saints in the match with some good long range shots but again Chappell had an excellent period, netting all of her shots in the first half, a result of the great support from Dalton and Nickle around the circle edge. The sides drew the quarter, with the scores 17-20 to Saints at half time.
Beale replaced Dalton to bring fresh legs into the mid court and Smale and Barker swapped in defence for Smale to run out the GA and Barker to use her height in the circle. Reduced attempts at goal for the Saints gave Liskeard the chance to reduce the deficit, and great mid-court play by Lemon, Beale and West, saw the ball making its way down the to the Liskeard shooting circle. Great shooting by West resulted in the quarter ending level (27-27). Both sides had all to play for going into the last.
Dalton returned for the final period and Liskeard stormed the quarter. Liskeard defence really put the pressure on in the shooting third and started getting the turnovers. The excellent shooting continued by Liskeard, (Which earned West player of the match) and gave confidence to the whole side. Liskeard managed to hold on to the lead with the game ending 35-32 and giving Liskeard their first win.
Captain Chappell said, ‘I am just so proud of all the girls. It was such a team effort tonight and we all worked so hard and so well together. I’m over the moon we have our first win, and hope it now continues!’
TIGERS LOSE OUT AT HOME TO BODMIN
LNC TIGERS 18 - 36 BODMIN
Starting line up: Lucy Smale (GK), Kay Barker (GD), Holly Lemon (WD), Emma Dalton (C), Jo Nickle (WA), Sarah West (GA), Kirstie Chappell (GS). Reserves: Christina Broad, Lauren Finch
Liskeard Tigers welcomed their close rivals Bodmin to Lux Park and were still searching for their first win. However with Bodmin playing in division 1 last season the Tigers knew it wouldn’t be an easy encounter.
Bodmin opened the scoring and quickly went 3 goals ahead but Liskeard fought hard to get it back. With good shooting and circle work, Chappell and West managed to pull it back, trailing by just one goal at the quarter break which ended 6-7. Coach Britz was pleased with his teams opening 15 minutes and encouraged them to steady their play.
The second quarter saw the tall Bodmin GD make it hard for the Tigers when she began to read their play. Liskeard struggled to feed the ball to the shooters and the risky long shots were picked off. However, Liskeard persevered; Nickle and Dalton continued to work the ball around the circle with great back up from Lemon, while Liskeard defence battled hard to overturn possession and keep them in the game. At half-time Liskeard trailed by just 4 goals, ending 11-15.
Broad replaced West for the second half in the hope her range and fresh legs may outsmart the strong defence; but injury to Chappell early in the period disrupted the teams rhythm. A surprising change saw GK Smale move to GS for the first time this season, Barker dropping back and Finch coming off the bench to GD. The defence jelled straight away with Lemon and Finch reading each other well. The extra height provided by Barker as GK saw the rebounds began to feed down the court. Smale settled into her new position and the whole team were relieved when she netted her first goal. Tigers lost the quarter leaving the score 16-24 going into the last.
West returned for the final period but Bodmin came out of the blocks and stormed the final quarter. As Bodmins confidence grew the goals started to come and again, Bodmin’s defence put up a fight with Liskeard really struggling to get the ball into the circle. Liskeard were tiring, and although they gave everything they could, especially by Nickle which earnt her player of the match, they lost the game 18-36.
TIGERS FINISH THEIR SEASON WITH A WIN AWAY TO SAINTS
Saints 36, Tigers 41
Liskeard Tigers travelled to Truro to face the young Saints side in their final match of the season.
Saints opened the scoring from the Liskeard centre pass but the Tigers settled quickly and GA Hoskin started to convert her many attempts at goal. Liskeard pulled a 7 goal lead with no response from Saints but their GS found her way into the game to pull back some of the deficit and end the quarter 10-7 to Liskeard.
The Tigers remained unchanged for the second period and were able to extend their lead. GD Hastings had the measure of the GA, ensuring she was unable to create the chances for Saints and fed the ball carefully down the court. Both shooters had a storming quarter, scoring 14 out of 18 attempts; great circle play supported by both Dalton and Glossop gave the team more opportunities which were duly converted by Hocking and Hoskin. Liskeard extended their lead to 7 goals at half time.
Eldridge replaced Dalton for the third quarter and the fresh legs gave Tigers an added advantage. Glossop covered the court well, supporting both defence and attack. Liskeard started to slow the game to their own pace, despite their enthusiastic opposition, and all that had been practised throughout the season was evident. Smale picked off the rebounds and with Hastings having a great game, she and WD Lemon played the ball down to attack. Both backed up the attacking play to retain possession and the team took the quarter 12-7 to extend their lead further.
Dalton returned for the final quarter but complacency and tiredness began to falter Liskeard’s play. 3 goals with no reply pulled Saints back into the game but Liskeard weren’t going to be beaten and fought back to go 10 goals in front. They knew the win was theirs but they allowed Saints back again, through sloppy passes and poor play. Fewer attempts for both shooters, and great shooting from the Saints GS saw the scores narrow to just 5 goals. However, the hard work was done earlier in the game and Liskeard took the win 41-36, also ensuring Saints just the one bonus point.
COUGARS WORK HARD TO SECURE HOME WIN AGAINST STORM
LNC COUGARS 38, STORM [4] 32
Starting Line up: GK Lynn Webb, GD Debbie Drinkell, WD Louise Piner, C Siobhan Howe, WA Kerry Elliott, GA Emma Thomas, GS Vicky Ford. Res. Rachael Congdon, Amelia Bridges & Kirstie Chappell
Having narrowly lost their opening game to Storm 4, Cougars knew it would be a competitive encounter. After a nervy opening 5 minutes Storm pulled ahead capitalising on some Cougar handling errors. The home side settled toward the end of the quarter though and pulled the deficit back to within 2 goals to trail 6 - 8.
Rachael Congdon came on at GD at the start of the second period. Cougars upped their game but were matched by a determined Storm. It went goal for goal for most of the period but thanks to some superb long shots from GS Vicky Ford finding the net, Cougars won the quarter 10 - 7 to lead by 1 goal at half time.
Coach Rudi Britz was keen for the players to maintain their momentum going into the 3rd quarter and brought Kirstie Chappell on at GS and Amelia Bridges to GD. Cougars were quick to settle and WA Kerry Elliot and C Siobhan Howe worked around the circle with class feeding in quality balls to the two Cougar Shooters. It was Cougars’ best period of play with some excellent defending by WD Louise Piner cutting off the supply of balls into the Storm Goal third. Bridges and GK Debbie Drinkell reduced the visitors shooting options and the whole team worked hard to progress the ball up the court. Cougars won the quarter 12 - 6, giving them a 7 goal lead going into the last.
Lynn Webb came on at GK for the start of the final quarter and as expected Storm came out determined to claw back the deficit, challenging for every ball. The visitors pegged the lead back to 3 goals but GA Emma Thomas and GS Chappell kept their nerve and Cougars were able to close out the game winners at 38 – 32.
Britz was delighted with his team’s performance against a quality opposition, congratulating them for working hard at the set plays practised in training and awarding Player of the Match to Emma Thomas.
Pictures by Glen Rogers
TIGERS GET THEIR SECOND WIN OF THE WEEK AT HOME TO SAINTS
LNC Tigers 47, Saints [4] 27
Liskeard Tigers welcomed Saints 4th string to Lux Park for their second fixture of the week. The team were hoping to continue their winning streak but were aware that the young side could cause them a few problems.
Saints opened the scoring going two goals in front before Liskeard started to pull it back. Both teams matched goal for goal for much of the period before Liskeard found their stride and started to dominate. GD Vicki Hastings marked tightly to ensure the GA had just two attempts at goal which meant more opportunities for the Tiger shooters. Good circle play by GA Amie Hoskin and GS Sophie Hocking kept the Tigers in front, winning the quarter 11-7.
The strong Tigers side were somewhat flustered by their youthful opposition and needed to slow the match down in order to play their own game. An injury to Centre Emma Dalton at the start of the second period unsettled the side further, but they knew Julia Eldridge was able to step up to the task. Both WA Jo Glossop and Eldridge supported the shooters, and backed up by WD Holly Lemon, they kept possession and worked the ball into the circle. A flurry of shots from both shooters gave the side a 6 goal lead early on and with Hastings picking off all loose passes, the Tigers finished 10 goals in front.
The 3rd quarter was much stronger by Saints. They weren’t fazed by the Tigers and tried to disrupt the play throughout the court. GK Lucy Smale and Hastings defended strongly but the well-drilled shooters worked for the better chance at goal. Despite how well Liskeard have played of late, they struggled to focus on their game and found themselves chasing the ball. The sides drew the quarter 10 goals each.
Lauren Finch replaced Lemon for the final period and even with a 10 goal cushion the match felt it could still go either way. But Liskeard were ready to prove themselves and had a fantastic final period. More shooting chances and conversions kept Liskeard in the lead and possessional play throughout the court ensured Saints couldn’t take the quick turnover. Hastings all but eliminated the GA out of the game, just one attempt for the period, whilst Smale battled hard with the GS to force the long shots. A much better quarter by the team, with 4 goals on the bounce in the dying minutes, meant that Liskeard won the match 47-27.
Captain Lemon was pleased overall. “It was a much tougher match than we expected and felt a lot tighter than the final score suggests, so all credit to Saints for putting us under pressure. However, we stuck to our plan, and despite some scrappy moments I am pleased with the win.
Amie had a great game, again shooting at neary 80%, and Vicki displayed some fantastic defending, working hard to eliminate her player and deservedly being awarded Player of the Match.”
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.
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.