Hertfordshire Mavericks have moved back to third place in the Co-operative netball Superleague table after a 55-37 home win against Team Northumbria.
A solid team run-out banked the two points needed to lift them above Leeds Carnegie who have also played ten matches.
Mavericks raced into a seven goal lead in the the first quarter with Ella Clark and Louisa Brownfield making the most of what was given to them in the circle, 15 of their 16 attempts counted. The home side led by eight after 15 minutes.
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It was closer in the second quarter. The visitors began to string some form together and kept pace with the Hertfordshire Mavericks. It was a good period for the north-east side who kept a lid on the Mavericks shooters while finding plenty of possession for their own.
The second half saw the home-side push on once again and they were defensively strong, sewing Team Northumbria up where possible with the opposing shooter Alex Wood being forced to unpick her way through the wall to land her shots.
The final quarter allowed Mavericks to press their advantage home to stand in control for an 18-goal win and a move back into the Superleague play-off places.
Head coach Maggie Jackson wanted her squad to work on specific combinations. “Team Northumbria were really feeding Alex Wood and they really kept us on our toes”, she said.
In a match where Mavericks were always ahead, the Hertfordshire side were able to run through the changes which was good news for the coach. “I was pleased with the way things are developing, Naomi is improving and we are finding a rhythm . Rose Morgan Smith was a stand out player .”
It was also the first game for a while that saw Mavericks take to the court without Karen Atkinson, who was fulfilling the second part of her player-coach role with the club on Friday and according to Maggie Jackson it was a great start. “it was a great opportunity for Karen and as always she was outstanding.”
Louise Hudson, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
