By Laura Howard

Netball 3rds stormed to a 54-16 victory over Chester (Warrington) 1sts at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre on Wednesday.

Last time these two sides met, UCLan thrashed Chester 65-15 and it was clear to see that result had affected the away side as the match went on.

With second placed MMU Cheshire in their sights, Captain Lindsey Fox said: “We were confident after the last victory against Chester that everyone would be up for it and the girls played well. MMU Cheshire is going to be a tough game so we can’t get complacent”

Despite Chester taking advantage of some poor marking and lack of communication in the early stages, the first quarter saw goal attack Fox demonstrate how to move quickly, find space and finish as she opened the scoring.

Soon after Chester began their surge for revenge as they made it 2-4. But it was the home side that soon picked up the pace with Hazel Abbot in centre, who squared the ball to goal shooter Kim Phiri to level up the scoring.

UCLan continued to dominate as the quarter drew to a close, tallying five goals without reply to make it 9-4. As confidence began to rise for the home side with some impressive combination play between Abbot and Phiri, Fox was again on hand to convert two goals consecutively to make it 11-5. UCLan’s defence were soon called upon, but they remained composed and saw out the first quarter with a 15-5 lead.

The second quarter saw some good movement again from the home side who were running rings around Chester’s defence. Substitute goal defence Letitia Amos squared it to Abbot who then found Fox again in space to open the scoring in the second quarter.

The opposing goal attack was correctly given as the away side’s the player of the match as she continued to perform brilliantly for her side, but it wasn’t enough as UCLan went on to score six goals consecutively.

With the score at 24-6, UCLan continued to play with confidence and rounded off the second quarter with a 29-7 lead. As the third quarter got under way, there was slight evidence of some complacency creeping in as passes were led astray, however goal keeper Rebecca Waters was on hand a number of times to keep out the danger.

Soon after, UCLan gathered momentum again, with some good play from substitute wing attack Amy Jones, who had a confident quarter. Her pass found substitute goal attack Vicky Smith who made it 34-9.

As the third drew to a close, it was evident that members of the opposition were becoming frustrated as they were frequently punished for contact. UCLan notched up a further nine points before the whistle to make it 43-13 at the break.

After a better flourish from Chester in the third, the away side looked to leave Preston with some pride in-tact, as they wrapped up five goals in total in the final quarter. However UCLan’s initial lead had already proven too much. The highlight of this quarter for the home side came in the final five minutes as Abbot found Fox who shot from distance to make it 49-17. As the final few minutes drew to a close, Phiri scored consecutively to make it 54-16 at the final whistle.

Goal scorers:

G.A – Lindsey Fox (captain)

G.S – Kim Phiri

Sub G.A – Vicky Smith

UCLan Netball 1sts 37

Leeds Carnegie 2nds 45

Captain Sarah Titherley picked up the player of the match as Netball 1sts ended up on the wrong end of a disappointing 37-45 defeat by Leeds Carnegie 2nds at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre.

Prior to this match both sides were level on six points each in the BUCS Northern 1A division. This game could have gone either way.

Leeds started off the better of the two sides in the first quarter after UCLan appeared to be struggling to keep hold of the ball.

The away side soon had a two goal advantage but it was goal attack Danni Parkinson who intercepted the pass and played in goal shooter Abby Loughery for the first of the home side’s goals.

Soon after, the quarter became stretched when wing attack Titherley kept with her marker and intercepted the pass to Loughery who equalised with a good shot for five apiece.

After good pressure in defence, UCLan finally took the lead towards the end of the quarter after contact by the opposing goal defence allowed Parkinson to score the follow up for a 9-8 lead.

The second quarter saw a very open battle as Leeds took the lead again early on.

Once more, it was Titherley with the interception that started off some great combination play between Parkinson and centre Jessica White, for Parkinson to finish and level the scoreline.

Although the home side were applying the pressure, it was Leeds who made their hard work pay withfour4 consecutive shots mid-way through the quarter. After some encouragement from the bench, goal defence Camilla Ashford blocked the shot of the attacker and set up a break away for Parkinson to finish 17-18. The home side finished the quarter the brighter after Parkinson made it 22-20 before the break.

UCLan started the third quarter very much like how they finished the second.

The hard working Loughrey made it 24-22 after a bounce pass from Titherley allowed her to shake off her marker.

Goalkeeper Kelly Mason had a tough game, but made a great interception which in the end fell to Parkinson, who capped a good move by the home side 27-24.

As the quarter drew to a close, fatigue was clear to see as tired legs looked to be chasing shadows. Leeds went on to score four more shots closing the gap to just one point as the buzzer sounded.

The final quarter saw a change in events that captain Sarah Titherley was disappointed with:

“It was frustrating, we should’ve won it but we lost it in the last, they came back strong just as we looked tired.”

With the score now at 35-36 it literally was all to play for, but heads appeared to have dropped as the home side started giving the ball away cheaply.

As the final few minutes approached, the gap increased to eight in favour of Leeds and the game finished 37-45.

Goal scorers – Danni Parkinson, Abby Loughrey

Laura Howard

It was a match of complete domination as the Netball 2nds thrashed Cumbria 2nds 55-19 at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre.

Goal shooter Jen Winters opened up the scoring after a through pass from Wing Attack Lily Thistle found centre Verity Scholes in acres of space.

Despite the initial fight back from the away side, UCLan defended in numbers with Thistle and goal keeper Vanessa Woods who put in a shift at the back.

UCLan continued on the attack soon after with Thistle the pick of the performers, goal attack Hayley Butterworth applied the finish for 8-3.

As the first quarter drew to a close, the battle between Winters and the strong opposing goal keeper was becoming apparent. Numerous decisions were directed in the way of the away side, to the bemusement of the bench. Despite this, UCLan ended the first quarter 14-6 ahead.

As the second quarter got under way, the home side began to show their total dominance. Thistle with the pivotal pass which found Winters who finished for 17-6.

Soon after it was Thistle’s pass again which this time found substitute goal attack Rebecca Shaw. UCLan’s tails were up as they went on to score six goals in a row. The away side failed to score a single point until the closing stages due to a tight defensive partnership between Woods and goal defence Hayley Vincent.

The heated battle between UCLan’s Winters and the opposing goalkeeper was due to get a whole lot more intense which sparked a discussion about her misconduct at the break. The home side lead 28-8 after a shot from Winters rubbed more salt into the away side’s wounds.

The whitewash continued as we entered the third quarter, wing defence Sophie Pilkington found substitute centre Zoe Astin who had a solid 15 minutes. She then set up Winters again who finished accordingly.

Defensive training appeared to have paid off after the home side could only draw against Keele 2^nd’s two weeks ago, and as a result, they kept Cumbria at bay, allowing them to only score four throughout the entire quarter. Goalkeeper Woods, again intercepted the pass and put Astin well on her way to set up Butterworth, who finished the quarter 45-12.

The final quarter saw the away side pick up the pace for the first time in the match. The shooters showed good agility to work the ball around the goalkeeper for Butterworth to finish. At 50-15, the home side were in an astounding position and with 5 minutes to go, Butterworth was given a foul for contact again by the keeper and finished 55-19 at the final whistle.

Speaking after the game, captain Verity Scholes said “We played well, I thought Jen handled the pressure from their goalkeeper very well.

“She held her ground and that is all we can expect her to do.”

By Laura Howard

Netball 1sts battled bravely at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre only to lose 31-66 against Liverpool John Moores 1sts.

The away side, who haven’t lost so far this season, put in a performance which was just too strong for UCLan. But they kept composure and rattled Liverpool on more than one occasion.

The away side started confidently, scoring three goals in quick succession.

But it was goal attack Abby Loughrey who combined well with goal shooter Jennifer Roberts to make it 3-5.

UCLan were back to within a point soon after when an incisive pass from captain Sarah Titherley fell to Roberts, but it was short lived as Liverpool began to open up the gap following some frantic play from the home side.

The second quarter opened up with a confident start from UCLan, Loughrey again with the opener after a pass from Titherley.

But the gap began to appear again soon after, as the away side’s superiority began to shine through.

Despite going 7-16 down, UCLan never gave up and battled on to win the toss up and score the resulting penalty.

As the quarter drew to a close, the home side began to tire with easy passes going astray forcing them on the back foot. However, it was substitute goal shooter Jen Winters who finished the scoring to make it 10-30 at the break.

Words of wisdom from the captain at the break signalled a fighting spirit once more as Loughrey and Roberts, combined well again to score what was the pick of the goals for the home side.

With the victory so far out of sight at 13-39, the only thing left intact to fight for was pride. UCLan began to pile forward with determination, scoring five goals on the run.

There were poor decisions in the match which cost UCLan possession, but they continued to fight through Parkinson, who was back in her familiar role to make it 23-56.

UCLan applied the pressure and got their reward as the game drew to a close, Roberts with a well timed pass picked out Loughrey who finished the match with heads held high, 31-66 at the whistle.

Speaking after the game Captain Sarah Titherley said “We knew it would be tough, they are top of the league.

“I thought we worked hard and, hopefully, against equal opposition we can go on to win”.

By Laura Howard

Netball 2nds battled through an incredibly even game to draw 39-39 against Keele 2nds at The Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre.

The first quarter saw UCLan start brightly; Captain and Centre Verity Scholes picked up the loose ball and played it into the hands of Goal Shooter Jen Winters who opened the scoring.  Goal Attack Rebecca Shaw added to the tally soon after.

However, cracks were beginning to appear in the home sides defence. A lack of communication and physical strength against the away side’s powerful goal shooter saw UCLan concede five goals in quick succession.

As the quarter drew to a close, support from the bench signalled a confidence boost as UCLan went into the break 10-9 up after a nice pass from Goal Defence Hannah Cockcroft.

The second quarter started with the away side on the front foot, but UCLan replied with a rapid response after substitute Goal Defence Vanessa Woods intercepted the pass and showed good vision to find the unmarked Shaw who equalised 11-11.

The home side improved dramatically in defence and began to show some confidence, Scholes being the pick of the performers.

After some good work from Wing Attack Lily Thistle, UCLan began to pull away when substitute Goal Attack Hayley Butterworth notched up her fourth goal and made it 17-13.

As tension on the bench grew, the home side continued their hard work, with a good ball from Scholes into the hands of Butterworth again to go 19-16 up at the break.

After a tense team talk, the away side again took advantage and closed the gap to just one point, but UCLan powered forward soon after and increased their advantage with a well-taken goal by Winters.

The support on the bench was electric for a side which hasn’t played together before this season. UCLan suddenly opened the gap to four points, Winters with the pick of the goals.

Keele’s shooters remained on form with a quick four-goal fightback to go into the final quarter level-pegging 29 a piece.

With nothing to separate the two sides during the encounter, UCLan powered forward for glory with Centre Lily Thistle, who played the ball to Shaw finishing strongly.

As the home side began to think the victory was in their grasp at 38-33, Keele hit back as the final whistle edged closer with an incredible six-goal streak to finish the tie 39-a-piece.

Speaking after the game, captain and player of the match Verity Scholes said “Everyone worked hard, it’s the first time we have played together so it’s a shame we lost it at the end,

“We know the areas we need to work on and we shall work on that in training”

UCLan are set to play Glynwyr’s away next week.

By Laura Howard

UCLan Netball 1sts started the season with a victory at the new Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre with a 50-37 triumph over Manchester 2nds.

The first quarter saw an end-to-end battle between two sides that both appeared committed to taking the victory. Captain Sarah Titherley opened up the play with a good pass forward towards goal attack Danielle Parkinson, who calmly opened up the scoring for the home side.

Manchester’s powerful forwards appeared to be causing some problems at the back for UCLan, but it was goalkeeper Kelly Mason who made a series of good interceptions which kept the home side with a 4-3 advantage. The end of the quarter saw UCLan pile on the pressure once more with a series of shots, ending the quarter 11-9 up.

As the second quarter got under way, the home side withstood some heavy pressure as Manchester piled forward. A 13-13 score line generated some words of wisdom from the bench, and soon after, Parkinson and goal shooter Jennifer Roberts teamed up and scored from a brilliant passage of play.

The away side were not giving up easily and a series of shots closed the gap on UCLan to three points, but it was the hosts that showed character and went into the break with a 24-21 lead.

After a close battle in the first half an hour of the match, UCLan made some changes to the side that had defended resiliently. Goal shooter Abby Loughrey opened up her account after a great bit of vision from Parkinson.

Again, Manchester countered but it was Mason who blocked the shot as she continued her stunning performance. As the third quarter drew to a close, UCLan opened the gap to nine points and headed into the break 37-28 in front.

The final quarter saw wing defence Titherley and centre Harriet Dunn combine well for Parkinson who scored with a nicely taken goal. As the final stages approached, UCLan looked confident of the victory with a series of play that was worthy of the points.

Soon after, Titherley and Roberts combined to make it 42-31 after another good piece of vision from Parkinson. Manchester appeared to look tired and became stretched as Parkinson converted the penalty close to the final whistle, but following a last flourish from the away side, the game ended 50-37.

Speaking after the match, Captain Sarah Titherley said “We played well, it’s the first game of the new season and with hard work in training we’ve got the potential to stay in this league. The girls defended really well today.”

UCLan 1sts will travel to Newcastle next week in a bid to maintain their winning ways.

By Laura Howard

A league title, promotion to the top division and two other second place finishes, UCLan’s Netballers certainly have their work cut out to top their achievements from last year.
The 1st team picked up the Pluto Team of the Year award after completing an unbeaten season on the way to winning Division 2A and securing promotion the top level of the BUCS Northern section.
And new chairwoman Kelly Mason, herself a member of the 1st team squad, believes they can be competitive in the top division; “I believe we have a strong chance of doing well.
“With three scholarship players in the squad and Sarah Titherly as captain I believe we can do very well.”
The club’s 2nds and 3rds will be aiming for promotion from divisions 5A and 8A respectively after both narrowly missed out with second place finishes last year.
“We are feeling very positive about the upcoming season, although we lost a lot of players last year, we have been extremely lucky with new members.
“We believe that both the seconds and thirds will be promoted and the first team will stay in 1A.”
The graduation of a number of key players has hit the club hard but Mason is confident the new talent can fill their boots.
“At the end of last year, there were a lot of members that left. I’d probably say about half of the club which was a huge blow.
“But we had a huge turnout at trials and I believe we have three very strong teams and at least two teams entering the SUL.”
The teams will also receive a boost in playing their home games at the new state of the art Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre- a move Mason says can only move the club forward.
“The new sports centre is fantastic.
“We have all new equipment and the floor surface is a lot better.”
The club is also focusing on its off-the-court activities this year, while giving opportunities to everyone through teams competing in the Student Union League.
“There are a few things we want to achieve as a club this year.
“Not only to get the 2nds and 3rds promoted and the first team to stay in 1A ,but we are looking at doing more fundraising and getting more people involved,” Mason said.
“If people don’t want to play at a competitive level that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t join, we are open to all different abilities and believe everyone should be given a fair chance to do something they love.”
All three teams kick off their campaigns on October 19, with the 1sts hosting Manchester 2nds before the 3rds take on Bangor 2nds, while the 2nds travel to Liverpool John Moores 3rds.

By Ciaran Thomas

Women’s Netball 1sts retained their lead at the top of the table in a winning 35-29 against Chester 1sts at Foster Sports Centre.

It was a poor opening quarter for UClan as they conceded five points early on from some nervous defending, but finally the opening goal came for the home side. Goal Shooter Hollie Dixon picked up on some quick passing from Goal Attack Danielle Parkinson to open the home side’s account.

After some good play but continuously no luck going forward, Parkinson later made it 4-5 but it wasn’t long until the away side restored their 2 point lead trailing 9-7 at the break.

The second quarter was better from UCLan and Parkinson as they began play with more confidence, but it continued to flow from end to end. Substitute Goal Shooter Gemma Bamford made it 13-13 with the help of gritty determination and support from the bench.

The backing proved to be a massive advantage for the home side as they took the lead 16-14 from a Parkinson shot to rapturous appreciation. However, as the quarter drew to a close UClan, conceded three points before levelling it up again at 17-17 before the start of the third quarter.

The third period saw a completely different UClan side as they stepped up the pressure and began to look like a team who are top of the BUCS league table. Parkinson began to demonstrate why she is important to the side with a long range effort to take the lead, along-side Bamford also had a storming game.

With some nice passing the home side began to dominate and forced errors from the away side, resulting in some poor time passes and interceptions from Goalkeeper Rachel Power. Parkinson later finished the dominant quarter 26-21.

Chester began to chase the game in the final quarter but it was not enough, as UCLan picked up a further nine points. The pick of the efforts coming from Bamford’s skill to keep the ball in play and pick out Parkinson who finished for 34-25. The away side later rounded off the tie 35-29 just before the full-time whistle.

Speaking at the end of the game, Captain Harriet Dunn believed her side would always come out victorious even after a defeat in the 1^st fixture, “It was hard getting back after that tough start but I always believed we would win.”

By Laura Howard

UCLan 2^nd netball team recorded their third consecutive win of the season with a 55-33 win over MMU Cheshire 2nds.

A promising start from the home side surged them to a 6-0 lead with the impressive attacking partnership of Goal attack Heather Robinson and Goal shooter Jen Smith.

MMU Cheshire began to find their feet, but this was soon dismissed by clinical counter attacking by UCLan, who stretched the lead to 16-9 at the end of the first quarter.  Robinson scored 11 out of the 16 and went on to be nominated player of the match through her remarkable composure in front of the goal.

UCLan opened the scoring in the second quarter through goal shooter Jen Smith before an injury to the MMU Cheshire Goalkeeper forced the game to stop, and the opposing player out of the game.

MMU Cheshire Goal Shooter netted to make it 18-10, but Robinson was quick to respond with a hat trick to extend the lead further to 21-10.

The game soon looked to be less one-sided when the visitors picked up the pace scoring three consecutive goals on the bounce.

Although it proved to be a close encounter, UCLan scored five consecutive goals, Robinson taking away four of the points to end the second quarter 28-16.

The third quarter picked up from the previous with the visitors matching the home side’s possession in another end to end tie. Captain and replacement goal shooter Laura Kerr opened her scoring and also formed a strong partnership with goal attack Robinson ending the quarter 42-25 to widen the lead.

A UCLan substitution saw the dominant Robinson replaced in the position of Goal Attack by the starting Goal Shooter Smith.

Although Cheshire were first to score in the final quarter it was the home side that continued to pull away from the visitors to score five successive goals from the Smith-Kerr partnership.

UCLan Centre Verity Scholes delivered precision service to the attacking pair for the inform shooters to continue to finish the game 55-33.

 With the visitors begging to tire the home side proved to be a cut above MMU Cheshire in the final quarter and shown just why they are contenders for the title.

Captain Laura Kerr said: “It was a very good game keeping our run for the top of the league going. All of the girls played really well.”

The result moves the team into second place, equal on points with top of the table Glyndŵr University 1^st    in the Northern conference 5A.

UCLan 2^nds will look to retain their current form when they return to action on the 1^st December when they face Lancaster 2nds away.

By Abby East

Women’s Netball 2nds cruised to a comfortable 48-17 victory over Keele University 2nds at Foster Sports Centre.

UCLan proved to be too strong for the bottom of the league side, who struggled to break down the home sides defence and match the clinical finishing shown throughout.

UCLan were quick off the mark with a quick succession of goals propelling them to a 7-0 lead before Keele responded from a penalty shot.

The visitors failed to match the tempo set by the home side though as UCLan raced into a 13-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter saw the hosts continue to build on their momentum with goal attack Hayley Butterworth putting more points on the board, taking UCLan to a15-4 lead.

Foul play from the visitor’s goal keeper gifted two consecutive penalty shots which goal shooter Jen Smith was quick to take advantage of; although Keele stepped up the pace of their game to reduce the deficit.

After a tight second quarter UCLan continued to pressure on the counter attack with both shooters showing precise finishing, keeping Keele at bay with some resolute defending which saw the third quarter end 33-12.

The home side continued to extend their lead after the break, wing attack Zoe Astin being a persistent threat delivering precise service for the shooters to continue to score from. With the opposition posing little threat, UCLan continued to take advantage and ended the game comfortable winners.

Player of the match was awarded to UCLan’s inform goal shooter Jen Smith, who proved a threat all game through her consistency in finding the net and constant threat against Keele.

Team captain Laura Kerr said: ‘It was a fantastic game, all the girls played really well, I’m really proud of the whole team. We’re now looking to push on and win the league following last week’s exit out of the knockout cup.”

UCLan have recorded two out of three league wins this season, and will look to continue their run when they face MMU Cheshire 2nds at home next week.

By Abby East