Team Bath’s young netballers have been urged to show more self-belief after going down 66-45 to Surrey Storm in the Fiat Netball Superleague at the Sports Training Village.
Last Friday night’s opening phase two game was strangely reminiscent of when the two teams met in phase one last month, with Storm racing away to an early advantage, but Team Bath slowly steadying it and clawing their way back into the game.
On this occasion the experienced Storm side were 13 goals up at the end of the opening quarter.
Team Bath head coach Jess Garland said, “I think we’ve missed a massive opportunity tonight, we should never have let the margin be that big.
“If we’d done the basics to a high standard and made fewer unforced errors, the result could have been very different. Everyone starts phase two with a clean slate, but we didn’t start the game like contenders today.
“We underestimated ourselves tonight and we need to shake that mentality off quickly. Sam (Cook) and Gemma (Fletcher) made a massive step forward against an attack deemed to be one of the best in the league, and we can take a lot from that.”
The visitors started off very well and opened up a five-goal lead before Kadeen Corbin got Team Bath on the scoreboard.
Corbin linked well with Mia Ritchie throughout the 60 minutes, rekindling the partnership that worked so effectively as the University of Bath team were crowned British Universities champions last Wednesday.
Fletcher and Cook produced some good interceptions, but the former Team Bath partnership of Rachel Dunn and Pamela Cookey proved as consistent as ever in front of goal and Storm led 18-5 at the end of the first quarter.
Corbin got Team Bath back in the game early in the second quarter. Fuelled by some fantastic feeds from Ritchie and Amanda Trounce, she helped to reduce the deficit, but Storm still shaded the quarter by a single goal.
Garland shuffled her pack in quarter three bringing Kat Hayes on at goal shooter and moving captain Asha Francis out to wing attack. Team Bath’s best move of the quarter saw Ritchie pick out Corbin as she ghosted behind the Storm defence to score.
Once again, quarter three went to the visitors, but only by a single goal.
Storm freshened things up in the final quarter and extended their lead to run out 66-45 winners, despite some excellent interceptions by young Cook.
Team Bath return to action with a trip to Northern Thunder this Saturday, 24 March, followed by a home game against Hertfordshire Mavericks on Thursday 29 March.
Lizzie Flint, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
