Oldham Netball Club’s premier league side headed to Essex on Sunday to face New Campbell. It was a clash of first place versus second place in the table.
Oldham had a depleted side after much of the team contended the Mike Greenwood Trophy for Manchester Thunder the day before. They ended up with only eight players available for the game, but those eight players contributed to one of the champions best performances of the season.
They started strongly with shooters Kathryn Turner and Alice Travis converting easily from any turnovers which Oldham created. The home side were feeding their shooter with accuracy making life tough for the Oldham defence. But Kerry Almond and Georgie Webster were forcing some errors with some high pressure on the Campbell attack. The quarter ended in favour of Oldham 20-12.
Coach Debbie Hallas made changes for the second quarter with Gabby Marshall dropping to the bench after feeling unwell. Abby Tyrrell came into goal defence and Webster moved to wing defence. The changes had an immediate impact with Webster stemming the influence of the Campbell wing attack and Tyrrell forming a solid partnership with Almond in the circle. Almond was beginning to pick off some of the feeds into the shooter and the ball flowed easily through court with Rachel Henry and Maria McAndrew running the centre court with ease and finding the Oldham shooters all too easily.
At half time the score was 37-27.
Oldham had a depleted side after much of the team contended the Mike Greenwood Trophy for Manchester Thunder the day before. They ended up with only eight players available for the game, but those eight players contributed to one of the champions best performances of the season.
They started strongly with shooters Kathryn Turner and Alice Travis converting easily from any turnovers which Oldham created. The home side were feeding their shooter with accuracy making life tough for the Oldham defence. But Kerry Almond and Georgie Webster were forcing some errors with some high pressure on the Campbell attack. The quarter ended in favour of Oldham 20-12.
Coach Debbie Hallas made changes for the second quarter with Gabby Marshall dropping to the bench after feeling unwell. Abby Tyrrell came into goal defence and Webster moved to wing defence. The changes had an immediate impact with Webster stemming the influence of the Campbell wing attack and Tyrrell forming a solid partnership with Almond in the circle. Almond was beginning to pick off some of the feeds into the shooter and the ball flowed easily through court with Rachel Henry and Maria McAndrew running the centre court with ease and finding the Oldham shooters all too easily.
At half time the score was 37-27.
Marshall returned to the court for the third Henry making way after starring for Loughborough the day before. The changes had no impact with Oldham continuing to stretch away from the hosts. Tyrrell and Almond were forcing the Campbell attack to take long shots which went astray and Webster was making life increasingly difficult for whoever was put against her. Travis and Turner were finding space under the post and duly converting.
Webster took a well-earned rest for the last period, with McAndrew moving to wing defence and Henry back on the court into the wing attack position.
The quarter went much the same as the others with Almond and Tyrell getting more hand to ball and the ball flowing through court. Campbell struggled to keep pace with Oldham, despite several time outs and constant changes in an attempt to disrupt the fast flow of the game.
Oldham took the win 68-52 and remain top of the league, undefeated after the first half of the season.
Coach Debbie Hallas commented: “I was really pleased with our performance today, this could have been a potential banana-skin but the girls were awesome. They gave everything despite a full on day on the Saturday and travelling late down south.”
“Everyone involved really put in a shift and now this really puts us in a fantastic position at the mid-point of the season. Captain Kerry Almond was player of the match today with a phenomenal 24 turnovers.”
Starting 7: GS Alice Travis GA Kathryn Turner WA Maria McAndrew C Rachel Henry WD Gabs Marshall GD Abby Tyrrell GK Kerry Almond, Bench: Tyrrell
Webster took a well-earned rest for the last period, with McAndrew moving to wing defence and Henry back on the court into the wing attack position.
The quarter went much the same as the others with Almond and Tyrell getting more hand to ball and the ball flowing through court. Campbell struggled to keep pace with Oldham, despite several time outs and constant changes in an attempt to disrupt the fast flow of the game.
Oldham took the win 68-52 and remain top of the league, undefeated after the first half of the season.
Coach Debbie Hallas commented: “I was really pleased with our performance today, this could have been a potential banana-skin but the girls were awesome. They gave everything despite a full on day on the Saturday and travelling late down south.”
“Everyone involved really put in a shift and now this really puts us in a fantastic position at the mid-point of the season. Captain Kerry Almond was player of the match today with a phenomenal 24 turnovers.”
Starting 7: GS Alice Travis GA Kathryn Turner WA Maria McAndrew C Rachel Henry WD Gabs Marshall GD Abby Tyrrell GK Kerry Almond, Bench: Tyrrell