A valiant effort from the York netball 3rds wasn’t enough to overcome stiff Lancastrian opposition this morning in tent 2. After a freak injury to captain Kate Copsen during the warm-up, the York side were up against it from the off, and despite a spirited effort to fight until the final whistle, Lancaster were too much to handle on the day and won narrowly 24-21.
York began brightly in the first quarter, utilizing the prolific goal shooter Rhia Stevens-Leach to good effect, as she converted her early chances with ease to put York 4-2 ahead. Despite York’s success up top, Lancaster’s goal attack Dawson and their shooter by the same name began to cause problems with the pace of their attacks. The first quarter ended with York trailing 5-2.
The second quarter saw some decent passing from Eliza Achland, and her energy around the court enabled the York attack to flow quickly and catch the Lancaster defence off guard. The Lancastrian goal defence however was playing outstanding, and York’s runs were often intercepted as the service to Stevens-Leach gradually declined. Both Dawson’s up top for Lancaster continued to cause problems, working attacks expertly and converting with precision to widen the lead to 13-9 by halftime.
The constant hustling of the Dawson’s caused problems for York’s Lottie Knight in defence, whilst the home side desperately tried to find a way through Lancaster’s McNally and Southworth. With the away fans becoming increasingly more vocal, Lancaster appeared to be in control, despite Rhia Stevens-Leach clawing the scoring back to just 19-16 by the end of the third quarter. The York determination was evident and they needed a big quarter to take the match.
An early goal from York may have sparked a York come-back; however a pivotal miss from the normally consistent Stevens-Leach was to cost them dearly. The Dawson’s were able to counter-attack and convert their chances, propelling Lancaster into a dominant lead at 22-17. A late comeback by York courtesy of Stevens-Leach pulled the scoring back to 22-20, however a vital miss from her again proved to be decisive. The match ended at 24-21, with Lancaster taking the points in a match that came down to important moments, which on the day York failed to convert.
The York 3rds put up a tremendous fight to push Lancaster all the way to the final whistle; however the chance conversion cost them dearly in the end. Stevens-Leach was as influential as ever in York’s attacks, however was unlucky to have missed chances that could have changed the course of the game if converted. York exhibited some great play at times, and it is clear that they have come a long way in such a short space of time. Their victory at Varsity was a magical moment, and they came tantalisingly close to claiming an emphatic Roses win, however ultimately fell short to a Lancaster team who at times were a real joy to watch. Captain Kate Copsen had nothing but praise for her team, stating ‘I’m so proud of the team, our hard work and fitness really showed. The result was disappointing but Lancaster played very well’.