Netball 1sts: York 35-30 St John
Amid joyous scenes, York’s netballers rounded off a fine Varsity afternoon with victory over their local rivals St. John in a pulsating and physical encounter. An impeccable attacking performance from the influential Sarah Pycroft was the cornerstone of this victory, York’s second over St. John in the space of a month, along with a gritty team display against aggressive opponents.
With recent encounters tight and tense, there was understandably some nervousness before the start but this didn’t prevent York quickly finding their rhythm on the court. With Pycroft quickly slipping into the shooting groove and fluid approach play from centre Amy Smith and Wing Attack Claire Shaw, York swiftly asserted themselves. However, St. John battled back into contention with slick counter-attacking, which unpicked the York defensive duo of Katie Cowper-Johnson and Hannah Martin in order to keep them very much in contention. In a first quarter littered with infringements and obstructions, it was the creative forward bursts of Pycroft and accurate shooting which edged the hosts into an 8-7 advantage.
In an exhilarating second quarter which fluctuated backwards and forwards, St. John showed their calibre with lightening fast counter-attacking netball and confident passing in York’s defensive third. Nevertheless, having seen their early lead cancelled out, York responded with quick-thinking from the rebound and accurate passing through the middle of the court, with Shaw being instrumental in carrying the attack. After the momentum had shifted from one side to another, York narrowly edged a lively quarter to establish an 18-16 half-time margin.
St. John was made to regret missed chances in a gripping third quarter, as York scrapped out a three-point lead. Again, Pycroft was faultless in the shooting zone, often demonstrating great perseverance and strength to seizer possession. In addition, her strike partner Sarah Fisher, content hitherto to occupy the withdrawn decoy role to free space, found her shooting range to great effect, snatching crucial points to keep York’s lead intact. St. John themselves demonstrated great resilience and alert defence, but their strength was most certainly the pace of counter-attacks, which caught the York rearguard napping on several occasions.
In front of two partisan sets of onlookers, the final quarter saw York fend off a spirited revival from their adversaries to secure the victory, although not without a struggle. The muscular approach from St. John proved problematic at times, but the attacking awareness and positional play from York proved sufficient to counter the physicality. With Pycroft and Fisher maintaining their form, York capitalised on their opponent’s growing fatigue to finish with a flourish. With goalkeeper Tess Olsen standing firm against the sporadic opposition attacks, York gradually built a five-point winning margin and the final whistle provoked ecstatic scenes on the touchlines.
After the game, a delighted team captain Amy Smith praised the team’s resilient performance, “It’s an enormous relief to win, the team were marvellous. Bloody fantastic.”
York University: GK – Tess Olsen, GD – Katie Cowper-Johnson, WD – Hannah Martin, C – Amy Smith (Captain), WA – Claire Shaw, GA – Sarah Pycroft, GS – Sarah Fisher
• Prior to this, York’s second team were narrowly beaten by St. John 25-26 in an epic and agonisingly close encounter.
