By Ava Featon, English Literature First Year
The game that had been looming over UBNCs 1sts had finally arrived and wow it was eventful. Not having an ideal season, it all came down to this playoff to see if they would maintain their spot in Prem one.
With a very talented squad of twelve it must have been extremely hard for coach Chantelle Wopara to select the starting seven of; Ella Honey (GS), Pia Gurner (GA), Libby Rowe (WA), Rachel Fairbairn (C), Phoebe Madeline (WD), Aramide Ajayi (GD), and Anna Warham (GK). As the seven took the court the atmosphere was electric, with a mass crowd cheering for their respective teams. Both teams came out firing, making it an entertaining watch. As soon as the first whistle blew, Ella Honey took no prisoners showing off her exceptionally strong hold allowing both Fairbairn and Rowe to show off their impressive and accurate feeding skills throughout the quarter, but more importantly to put goals on the board. Bristol took an early lead in the first 4 minutes with a score of 3-1. Thanks to the many jaw dropping turnovers from Bristol’s resistant ball-turner Aramide Ajayi, Bristol took a slim lead of 9-7 at the first quarter.
Due to the intensity of the game, no changes were made into second quarter. With only a two goal buffer, Bristol really needed to pull ahead this to keep momentum on their side, and who better to help them do this than England Rose and on court captain, Phoebe Maslen. Maslen absolutely dominated the circle edge defensively, gaining not one but two circle edge interceptions during the second quarter alone. Maslen’s insane turn overs paired with Rowe’s beautiful through court drives, finished off by Gurner’s impressive shooting skills. Bristol continued to maintain their buffer of two goals throughout the quarter. The crowd roared with excitement with every goal scored and ball turned, and held their breath for each missed shot and opposition turn over. With so little in it the crowd were on the edge of their seats. After the fifteen minutes were up Bristol headed into half time with a scoreline of 18-16.
After catching their breaths over half time, the same seven re-entered the court and this time they were not messing around. Bristol came into the third quarter, guns blazing and Anna Warham was no exception. On Cardiff’s first centre pass of the quarter, Warham was unstoppable. Turning over the ball on Cardiff’s final pass into the circle, Warham dominated the goal shooter and impressively intercepted the ball on the baseline, whilst managing to just keep herself onside before offloading to Ajayi. Warham’s interception set the tone from the quarter and it only got better from there. Bristol’s transition speed through the court was immensely impressive and Rachel Fairbairn was at the forefront of it. Fairbairn constantly set the pace for her team, showing off her exceptional knowledge of the game, knowing when to release the ball on the first second but also when to slow things down for her team too. Fairbairn’s knowledge married with her titanium-like hold on the circle edge, allowed for Honey and Gurner to continue easily reset when necessary to get closer to the goal and sink their shots. The third quarter was where Bristol proved why there are already in Prem one, showing off a plethora of quality. Finishing the third quarter 30-21 to Bristol.
The final quarter was an impressive showcase of skill and determination from UBNC. The physical fitness that was displayed from all players on court was spectacular and highlighted to the crowd why these players are the best of the best. Vice captain, Libby Rowe was outstanding. She displayed an impressive performance on both the first and second phase of the centre pass and continued to impress on the circle edge. Bodying up and sealing successfully to put herself in the best position to receive the ball, Rowe was more than impressive to watch. Speaking of impressive, Ajayi was not only amazing in the final quarter but absolutely outstanding throughout the game. Constantly turning ball at a silly rate, whilst also shutting down her oppositions through court and forcing held balls. Ajayi is one to watch for the future. At 6:21, Morgan Birks subbed in for Warham at GK and immediately made an impact. On her first play of the game, Birks went on a jaw dropping fly out of circle and intercepted the ball with ease from Cardiff’s WA in the pocket. Thanks to Birks spectacular turn over, Gurner was able to once again convert it into a goal for her team. There was nothing stopping the super shooting duo of Gurner and Honey coming into the final minutes. Both refusing to miss, which pushed the score to 36-28 as the final whilst blew. The crowd erupted with cheers and applause, whilst the Bristol side embraced in a huddle filled with pride. Bristol had done it, they were staying in the Prem.
Post Match Analysis
Chantelle Wopara, Head Coach of Bristol Netball
'The day we’ve all been working towards finally arrived – our winner-takes-all playoff against Cardiff 1st team, with the opportunity to play among the elite at the highest level next season on the line. From start to finish, this was a game full of quality, determination, and heart.
The first quarter was a fast-paced, end-to-end affair, with Ella and Pia showing great strength and composure in the shooting circle to fend off tough opposition. We finished the quarter with a narrow 2-goal lead (9-7). A well-timed timeout allowed us to catch our breath, refocus, and come out stronger in the second quarter.
The midcourt trio of Libby, Rachel, and Phoebe worked tirelessly, creating numerous opportunities for our shooters and demonstrating excellent connections and patience. Everything we’d been practising in training was on display, and the team’s effort was evident in every play. Another close quarter followed, but we managed to maintain our 2-goal lead.
With the game hanging in the balance, we knew Cardiff would come out hard in the third quarter. But we weren’t phased – this is where we won the game. Defensively, Aramide and Anna were nothing short of brilliant, while Phoebe and Rachel put immense pressure on Cardiff’s attack, forcing turnovers and creating key opportunities. We ended the third quarter with a 9-goal lead, which we were able to hold onto through the final stages, sealing the vital 36-28 victory.
As the scoreline reflects, it was a defensive battle, with both teams showing incredible grit and resilience. I’m so proud of every player on the court, including our impact players – Morgan, Caitlin C, Caitlin B, and Fran – who have been outstanding throughout the season and played crucial roles.
Finally, I want to extend a huge thank you and good luck to Phoebe Maslen, our very own superstar and club VC. I’ll miss you so much! Good luck with everything in your future, both in netball and life. I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll achieve.'
Meet the Team
Top row from left to right: Eniola Ajayi, Fran Tomassoni, Morgan Birks, Pia Gurner, Rachel Fairbairn, Anna Warham, Ella Honey, Chantelle Wopara.
Bottom row from left to right: Caitlin Brand, Caitlin Cheal, Libby May, Phoebe Maslen, Aramide Ajayi.
