Glasgow Wildcats: Scotland's Superleague Team
Brunel Hurricanes 42 vs 48 Brunel Hurricanes
Guildford Spectrum
Monday, 9th February 2009 :: 19:30
Round 14: Brunel Hurricanes v Glasgow Wildcats
10th February 2009
MATCH: Brunel Hurricanes
VENUE: Guildford Spectrum, time: 1930 Monday 8th February, 2009,
UMPIRES: Louise Travis and Chris Wilson Smith: 3rd official Janice Treasure
Q1: 12-10
Q2: 23-22
Q3: 31-37
Q4: 42-48
You lucky, lucky people! Not only has The Co-operative Netball Superleague delivered a match with a shock result that shakes up the run-in to the play-offs (and allows the winners, to shall we say “pop their league cherry”), it also produced an injury scare ahead of England’s International Series, and has even been captured on camera for you to watch and enjoy on Thursday. That’s Sky Sports Xtra at 1800 and if you don’t have satellite TV it’s worth doing a deal with whoever to get possession of the remote control for the re-run of this game, I suspect Glasgow Wildcats fans will have front row seats.
It was a sell-out at Guildford Spectrum, with the revved up, noisy crowd all set for another Brunel Hurricanes home win and there was a confident swagger as Here Come the Girls brought the team on court. Glasgow started at a hurried pace in a scrappy start for both teams but settled better than the home side as the quarter progressed and with 4 minutes to play they moved a goal ahead. Hurricanes got a grip, took control and turned the score around to change ends 2 goals up.
Neither team could make a decisive break in the thrilling second quarter as the score bungeed one way then the other, but then a blow for Brunel when leggy goal-defence Sonia Mkoloma, tumbled and turned her ankle. Treatment in the time-out was such that she was left pulling her shoe back on as the ball came back into play. Hurricanes were effectively down to six players for another few minutes but this seemed to spur them on and attacking with gusto they moved 21-18 in front. The ankle was hindering Mkoloma as Rachel Holmes, playing a fine game at goal attack, kept the England player on the move, and after another time-out the GD move to GK with Jamie Galley coming on. Sensing an advantage Wildcats pounced back into the match over-turning the deficient to be just one down at half-time.
It’s tricky sometimes to appreciate everything that’s happening on court when you’re goal-hungry and waiting to be fed, but special mention has to go to Glasgow’s Claire Brownie for her composed control of the centre court. In the third quarter in particular there was a spectacular battle of the blondes as she tussled with Kate Ricks, which in my book earned her a shot at being Co-operative Player of the Match, she was only replaced after landing hard on her hip in the late stages of the 4th quarter - the only team change for the visitors.
Sonia Mkoloma was missing for the third quarter and Wildcats made the most of her absence, feeding the ball in became a breeze and they had a total of 20 shots in that 15 minutes. Combined with the cracking defensive work at the other end from Claire Cooper and Hayley Mulheron, the Scottish side clawed 7 goals ahead before conceding one before the whistle.
With 15 minutes to go, play-off hopefuls Hurricanes seemed to realise for the first time there was a good chance they were going to be beaten by the team at the bottom of the Superleague’s and stepped up the pace, Mkoloma came back on at GK but she could do little to halt the metronomical precision of Glasgow’s shooter.
Lesley MacDonald rightly was named Co-operative Player of the Match after a cool, calm and collected domination of her circle, leading by example and landing a 77% success rate. If you don’t want to know what happened in the last 10 minutes because you’re going to watch it on the telly look away now because it wasn’t over.
One last flurry by the Hurricanes brought them level at 41-41 but a series of fouls cost them and the Wildcats calmly retook the lead and the victory. Maybe you could say Glasgow had an 8th player in the form of their coach Denise Holland, formerly of Brunel Hurricanes; “it’s a game where tactically we were aware of the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and the team”. The players danced a jig of joy at the final whistle having nailed their first ever Superleague win and with a margin that moves them off the bottom of the pile for the first time this season, their coach hopes it sends out a message to the rest, “Teams will see this result and say ‘Oh my gosh’. I think we can really fly now, we physically really pushed them.”
Brunel’s coach Natalie Swift was naturally disappointed with a result that could have major implications for the final play-off standings. “They were the better team on the night. It was a match we couldn’t afford to lose however, all is not lost we have to bounce back quickly this Saturday and prove that we have the desire to win at all costs.”
Things are certainly hotting up in the tail end of the season, who knows what more is in store. Brunel Hurricanes will be hoping for a happy Valentines date on Saturday when Team Northumbria come to play. Glasgow Wildcats maybe purring contentedly for now but could they give us a real shocker by winning again next weekend against Loughborough Lightning, they’re playing at home.
Now, let’s get that Sky+ sorted for Thursday, 1800 Sky Sports Xtra.
GLASGOW WILDCATS
GS: Lesley MacDonald (capt)
GA: Rachel Holmes
WA: Gail Higgins
C : Carlene Hamilton
WD: Claire Brownie
GD: Claire Cooper
GK: Hayley Mulheron
SHOOTING STATISTICS:
Glasgow Wildcats 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Overall
MacDonald (GS) 8/9 9/12 13/15 9/12 39/48 (81%)
Holmes (GA) 2/2 3/5 2/3 2/2 9/ 12(75%)
Team Overall: 48/60 80%
BRUNEL HURRICANES
GS: Vicklyn Joseph
GA: Asha Tett
WA: Louise Moffats
C: Becky Nash (capt)
WD: Chioma Matthews
GD: Sonia Mkoloma
GK: Areta Thatcher
SHOOTING STATISTICS:
Brunel Hurricanes 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Overall
Joseph (GS) 10/13 7/9 6/6 8/11 31/39 (79%)
Tett (GA) 2/4 4/7 0/1 - 6/12 (50%)
Press (GA) - - 2/3 3/4 5/7 (71%)
Team Overall: 42/58 72%
Score Statistics
Quarter Time Score: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
(Hurricanes/Wildcats) 12-10 11-12 8-15 11-11
Progressive Score: 12-10 23-22 31-37 42-48
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Last Game 30/04/10
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49-37 | 
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Netball Superleague 08/09
| Team | P | Pts. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surrey Storm | 16 | 28 |
| 2 | Team Bath | 16 | 27 |
| 3 | Northern Thunder | 16 | 26 |
| 4 | Mavericks | 16 | 22 |
| 5 | Leeds Carnegie | 16 | 15 |
| 6 | Celtic Dragons | 16 | 7 |
| 7 | Glasgow Wildcats | 16 | 7 |
| 8 | Loughborough Lightning | 16 | 6 |
| 9 | Team Northumbria | 16 | 6 |
League table last updated: 30/04/10
