Wins for Derwent and James in college netball

February 12, 2012 | ONLINE ONLY
Will Light

DERWENT 17-14 GOODRICKE
JAMES 26-4 LANGWITH

Images: Philippa Grafton

Both Derwent and James produced good performances to see off their rivals in Sunday’s college netball.

However, it was unfortunate that yet another game was cancelled due to player shortages. Again it was Vanbrugh who had to withdraw for their second consecutive fixture, forfeiting their match against a disappointed Halifax side. However, the other fixtures showed a quality that suggests the state of college netball is still in fine fettle.

A strong Derwent performance in the first half ultimately presented them with a 17-14 victory, despite a plucky response from Goodricke. The first period saw Derwent establish an 11-6 lead, mainly due to their fluidity of movement down the court.

Goodricke found this attacking speed difficult to counter throughout this first fifteen minutes, their defence having to repeatedly scramble the ball out of play.

The second half saw a Goodricke side with a little more threat, particularly as a result of the impressive performance of goal shooter Sarah Lane, whose clinical finishing remained Goodricke’s most potent weapon.

However, the team as a whole seemed to be missing composure in their play around the D. It was the absence of that elusive final ball that saw Goodricke lose out, unable to take full advantage of their posession in the final third.

Derwent’s defence must also take due credit for Goodricke’s attacking starvation, as their marking was repeatedly close and disciplined. With this and their rapid counter attack, their victory was well-earned.

In the other fixture of the day, James College were ruthless in their demolition of Langwith, thrashing them 26-4. It was an exemplary performance in all areas of the court; Langwith were helpless as James completely dictated the tempo.

The first half saw James rampant, with their front pairing of Rachel Bunce and Tessa Russell showcasing some exceptional finishing.

James never looked remotely harried in position. Extremely cool on the ball, they found themselves building slick passing moves into the D virtually at will. Conversely, Langwith lacked composure, with James defence stifling the majority of their chances.

The second half saw a continuation of the onslaught. Bunce and Russell were shooting as if playing a practice match, but the passing that supported them was also exceptional.

Langwith look tired towards the latter stages in their fruitless attempts to contain James, unable to match their rival’s speed of play. At the whistle, the final score was completely justified.

James captain Becky Gray was understandably delighted with her side’s display, telling Nouse: “We played really, really well. In fact, that’s the best we’ve played all year. Every individual performed today. I’m so proud!”

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