NTL SQUAD TAKE 3 WINS FROM 3 IN PRE XMAS COMPETITION

With Christmas fast approaching, a weekend of netball achieved through a 12 hour round coach trip to the Triangle Leisure Centre in Sussex, didn’t seem the ideal preparation for Christmas festivities! However, by Sunday lunchtime the Thunder NTL squad and management team had good reason to celebrate with three wins out of three in this double header weekend.

Travelling to Sussex on the Friday evening afforded the opportunity of a relaxing start to Saturday with breakfast at the hotel followed by match video analysis of the one goal defeat to reigning champions Mavericks in the November tournament. Excellent analysis by the squad highlighted the need to combat the bombardment of long feeds to the 6ft 4 shooter and capitalise on turnovers which, together with a strategy for centre passes, formed the backbone of the game plan, along with the weekend mantra of “Go hard or go home”!!

Thunder were ready to start this competition with success and didn’t let the delayed start, caused by a leaking roof or a warm up in a squash court quell this determination, and success they achieved! In a closely fought hour’s game, Thunder’s composure and finesse shone through for a 6 goal win. An unchanged team of Eleanor, Georgie, Beth, Aimee, Becci, Kathryn& Alice worked tirelessly to follow the game plan.

The second game of the day required equal focus, albeit against less experienced opposition in Team South. The physical and mental effort put into the Mavericks game did appear to affect some of the players and we started slowly. However, with quality in abundance fresh legs from the bench contributed to a deserved and convincing win.

Sunday’s game, against an unorthodox West Midland Warriors, proved an equally testing challenge. West Mids used their physical strength and vocal capacity to maximum effect to push Thunder to the limit but once again this young and talented squad maintained their composure to see the game out for an 8 goal win.

Thank you to Andrea Whiston (umpire), Malcolm & Donna Lee (table officials) and Elainer Harper (video!)
Squad – Eleanor Cardwell (Captain), Alice Travis (Vice), Kathryn Turner, Beth Cobden, Aimee Standring, Georgie Webster, Rebekah Airey, Paige Kindred, Gabby Marshall, Becci Hoult, Courtney Savage, Helen Housby.

Head Coach Paul Harper commented:

“My ears are still ringing from the constant singing of Christmas songs ALL the way home! However, the girls had every right to be in high spirits.”
 
“This has been a very pleasing weekend in terms of correcting errors from the NTL Tournament. Our girls were determined to work together as units and a team to achieve their goals. Considering the youth within the squad and the fact that this is the first season for some of our girls, their composure was highly commendable. All 12 athletes played during the course of the weekend and were lead well by Captain Eleanor Cardwell. Although the three out of three wins was a great team effort, Beth Cobden was magnificent and certainly my player of the weekend.”
 
“A big thank you to our coaching and support team, Gabs and Phil (Jeeves) and to Tracey for her support and mentoring throughout the weekend.”
 
Merry Christmas everyone! 
 
Director of Netball Tracey Neville said:

“My first event in my new role and what a weekend of netball….Thunder NTL were diligent in their first match against Mavericks and worked the opposition tirelessly in both attack and defence to win the game. The teams moto of ‘GO HARD OR GO HOME’ certainly paid off and they constantly made it difficult for Mavericks through the court to get the ball to their England shooters Burt and Craig and showed a true TEAM performance.

The next two games against Team South and West Midlands demonstrated patches of great netball by the team but certainly gave our thunder NTL coaches Towell and Harper plenty to go away and analyse over the xmas period. Personally for me moving into the New Year and the start of the FNSL I was extremely pleased with our new squad imports Eleanor Cardwell and Beth Cobden who led from the front both on and off the court.”

“Congratulations to all the Thunder NTL staff Harper, Towell and our very own Jeeves (Phil Thomas) you have set a high standard for the NSL team in season 2011/12.”