If Team Bath’s last home game against Hertfordshire Mavericks wasn’t close enough, this Friday evening saw one of the most exciting encounters of the season so far, and one of the greatest comebacks too.
It was all or nothing for both the hosts and the pink and purple of Yorkshire Jets, who wanted to make this their third consecutive win and jet set into the next phase.
So with the fate of each side resting on the match at the Sports Training Village, the crowd were in for another hour bursting game of changing turnovers and shock decisions with the victor making it through to the top Tier and the defeated being placed in to Tier 2.
The first few minutes of this tantalising game saw Team Bath capitalise on a few Yorkshire Jets mistakes, with WD Scarlett Williams being a key player in linking up the defence and attack and bringing the ball through the court. With the visitors taking a few minutes to find their feet, Bath went 3-0 up, with the attacking quartet of Kadeen Corbin, Asha Francis, Amanda Trounce and Mia Ritchie all being involved in working the ball around the circle and sinking the all-important early goals.
However, it wasn’t long before the Jets got their head in the game and, after turnovers and interceptions from both sides, came back in it as GA Rachel Shaw used her outstanding agility to keep the pace fast when working with WA Natalie Haythornthwaite.
The pressure was well and truly on and Team Bath were working hard in search of an advantage. Jets defender Jo McKinney made an impressive interception in the final minutes and with the ball being converted to goal by Shaw, neither side went ahead, with the first quarter ending at an even 12-12.
After a tight first quarter both sides made changes for the second to bring on the combinations that would hopefully gain the advantage. Team Bath’s Cook went out to GD and Fletcher back to GK and for the Jets, Russell went to C, swapping with Natalie Panagarry who went to WA and Samantha Thomas came on at WD.
For the away side these new combinations seemed to be the missing ingredient, as the roles reversed as Jets crept ahead and grabbed the lead they had been waiting for. Although captivating Corbin helped to keep Bath in it, with perfectly timed holding and confident shooting, Yorkshire jets were ahead by 6 goals by the middle of the quarter, after great defensive work forced Bath to hold the ball for more than three seconds.
Team Bath were far from defeated with Cook being steadfast in intercepting the ball and allowing her side to score from not only their own centre pass but from some of Jet’s centre passes too.
After fantastic play from a Team Bath centre being passed onto a running Corbin and the home side bringing it back to 21-23, a shock decision from the umpire saw Fletcher being sent off the court leaving Bath with just 6 players and more detrimentally without a GK!
Just seconds later Corbin went down with an injury, requiring Kat Hayes to instantly come on and fill the shoes of her team mate. With the Jets wanting to make the most of the opportunity and, although the odds were against them, Team Bath did keep within three for the remainder of the quarter and the last few seconds saw Fletcher come back on to see this turbulent quarter ending 23- 26 to the visitors.
Hearts were still pounding after the drama of the second quarter, but both teams needed to regain focus to make sure the game didn’t slip away. The teams were back to normal after the half time break, with Cook and Fletcher swapping back to the original line up and no changes from the Jets.
The third quarter followed the same start as the second, with the Jets breaking away through their effective shooting partnership of Shaw and Jo Walker. With Walker consistently finding the space and holding under the post and with Shaw, Panagarry and Russell placing flawless passes into her hands, Jets were able to get an eight point lead.
A crucial intercept from Ritchie allowed her to find Francis under the post to score for the hosts and take some momentum back. The final play of the quarter saw a Yorkshire Jets centre pass being forced back and nearly intercepted by Williams, but as the crowd counted down the last few seconds Jets couldn’t get to goal quick enough and remained seven points clear at 42-35.
So, it all came down to the fourth and final quarter of the game. With Bath behind, the crowd were definitely not expecting what the home side had in store for them!
The only change for this quarter was in the Team Bath squad, with Becky Watkins coming on at WD, in what proved a pivotal change. The young WD sent a spark through the Team Bath side that seemed to create a fire inside the players that drove them to get interception after interception and turnover after turnover.
Cook and Fletcher were ruthless in the defending circle, making the rebounds as Shaw and Walker began to feel the pressure. The intensity and the atmosphere were rising throughout the whole of the arena.
With the score at 44- 41 to the visitors, Jets called a crucial time out, reducing the momentum of the game. However, it wasn’t long before the home crowd started chanting for their team to come back on court and resume play.
After a Team Bath centre, Jets WD Thomas made a pace changing interception, showing that the Jets weren’t letting the lead go without a fight. Francis instantly responded with a fantastic steal that was converted to goal which, bringing the score level to 44-44. It was all still to play for with just five minutes left to go.
Both sides managed to keep their composure as the fans grew restless and a buzz filled the air. Shaw and Walker expertly executed their overhead passes to keep them in the game and Watkins, Ritchie and Trounce kept the ball safe in bringing it up the court to Corbin and Francis. It was goal for goal, with each side willing to be the one to make the steal that could ultimately win the game.
As Russell stepped in to take a Jets centre pass Cook was ready to make the turnover that would win the game and went straight up to Corbin who incredibly kept her steady hand and got the goal that took Bath ahead at 50-49, with the next centre their own.
The next three goals from Team Bath showed the cohesion and determination that kept them in the game, with Fletcher getting a tip and Cook supporting to pick up the ball to send it up court. In the final seconds Jets made their final interception, but it wasn’t enough as the final whistle blew and the crowd erupted. What a time to secure a first home win of the season.
With such a fantastic and enthralling performance from both Yorkshire Jets and Team Bath in their last round of phase 1, it is clear that both sides could have taken the win, and both would have been equally deserving to.
An extremely defiant and admirable Team Bath side stole the advantage at the critical moment and will now take their place in the top tier and give themselves a great chance of making the Grand Final weekend.
England Netball Report,www.englandnetball.co.uk
Sportsister, The Women’s Sport Magazine
