By Ava Featon, English Literature First Year
There was nothing stopping the UBNC 2s this week even with a reduced squad of nine players due to injury. Going into the final three league games of the season the squad was looking to take a step further into the promised land of promotion. Needing two wins out of their last three games to win the league, the 2s took no prisoners this week away to USW 1s.
Bristol debuted a new starting seven this week due to their resident ball turner Grace Durand being side-lined with a back injury. But although the presence of Durand was certainly missed on the court, her injury opened a spot for fresher Katie Copping to get her first and well deserved start for the 2s. Copping took her start and ran with it, showing off a plethora of skill in the WA position, effortlessly feeding ball after ball into the strong hold of a co-captain Fran Tomassoni (GS). USW’s defence were simply no match for Tomassoni's steel-like hold. Thanks to the impressive turnover rate from the defensive second year duo of Iris Huggins (GD) and Maddie Whitfield (GK) Bristol went an incredible 6-0 in the first seven minutes of the quarter. In the second half of the first quarter the squad continued to highlight how they had maintained their top spot in the league. Outplaying USW on every inch of the court, Bristol managed to score over double the number of goals from the first seven minutes ending the first quarter 14-6 to Bristol.
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Making no changes into the second quarter Bristol continued to assert their dominance over the Welsh side. The breath taking combination of club captain Chloe Davies and fresher Ava Featon (GA) continued to prove difficulty for USW, with Featon constantly running the front of the attacking circle and Davies giving her the circle edge feeds. They were a duo that were hard to beat. Featon’s ability to consistently shoot from long range allowed the English side to put goals on the score board at a rapid pace, as she eliminated the need for that common second pass in the circle. With Bristol’s attack easily putting the goals up and the defense effortlessly turning over ball, Bristol’s lead extended steadily throughout the quarter. A jaw dropping circle edge turnover from the powerhouse Poppy Sawyer (WD) gifted the girls yet another conversion to finish the second half at 29-12.
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A few changes were made going into the second half of the game. Co-captain Betsy Thomas came on in goal attack and Sabine Newman replaced Davies at centre. The substitutes swapped seamlessly into the attacking end truly illustrating Bristol's quality. Defensively the third quarter was by far Bristol's best. Huggins and Whitfield effortlessly turned an impressive six balls between them across the quarter. With Whitfield dominating the bass line and Huggins commanding the front space in the circle, USW’s attack did not stand a chance. Not to mention the consistent through court attack from Sawyer helping to make everyone else’s lives much easier. Thomas continued from where Featon left off owning the front space in the circle and Tomassoni did what she does best by occupying the back space with ease. The collaboration of Newman and Copping was effortlessly brilliant, with both middies being extremely rapid no one was able to keep up. USW only scored four goals in the third quarter leaving the end of quarter with a score of 42-16.
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Although the game was already won, Bristol did not take their foot off the gas. The co- captains made the decision to push Thomas into her usual position of WA, putting Featon back into GA and taking Sawyer off for a well-deserved rest to be replaced by Davies at WD. Again, the changes were flawless and did not disrupt the flow of Bristol’s game. The tone of the final quarter was set by a sensational cross-court interception from Newman. Davies quickly followed up with another interception to put another point on the board. All of the seven players never once let up in the final fifteen minutes, proving to the crowd and themselves that they are the deserving winners of the Western Division Two League. Scoring another 16 goals (that’s just over more than one a minute!) in the final quarter, Bristol effortlessly put the final nail in USW’s coffin with a final score of 58-25.
Post Match Comments
Chantelle Wopara, Head Coach of Bristol Netball
“Coming off the back of a vital win away to Cardiff last week, the incredible 2s headed back over the bridge to play USW for the first time this season. We got the strong start we wanted, going into the first break 14-6 up. From there on, we dominated the game, winning every quarter and finishing the game with an incredible 58-25 win. Heading back into the cup next week, we travel to Solent, and I’m excited to see how this incredible group of players take on the challenge and hopefully push on into the semis.”
Betsy Thomas, Co-captain of UBNC 2s
“We secured another great win, the team showed dedication and commitment throughout the whole game as we were very determined to get the win. We showed versatility by trying out lots of combinations while continuing our teamwork and enjoying every minute. With only two league games left this season we remain undefeated in the league, pushing closer to promotion!
Ava Featon, Player of the Match
“I was chuffed to be awarded player of the match from the opposition. USW are a lovely and well-respected side, which meant the match was extremely enjoyable yet still had that element of competitiveness. The game was so much fun for us and almost allowed us to let our hair down in a sense, which was great after our recent battle with Cardiff 3s for the top of the table.”
Meet the team
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Top Row (left to right): Fran Tomassoni, Poppy Sawyer, Maddie Whitfield, Ava Featon, Betsy Thomas
Bottom Row (left to right): Chloe Davies, Sabine Newman, Katie Copping, Iris Huggins
Featured image: Betsy Thomas