Carnegie Netball take silver at BUCS Champs

Joseph Fitzpatrick

Leeds Carnegie relinquished their Kukri BUCS Netball national title losing to Loughborough 68-37 and granting the Midlands outfit revenge for last year's final loss. 

Carnegie, missing captain Joanne Walker because of a ruptured ankle ligament,  had opportunities in the first quarter.  An early interception by Dani Bloomfield was not converted by 3rd team shooter Courtney Perks, who had been drafted in to replace Walker, and they managed to force several more turnovers, but every time Leeds advanced the ball to the final third there was simply no cohesion between the shooters, never more evident than when Wing Attack, Francesca Marshall held the ball for almost five seconds, an occurrence that went unnoticed by the umpires. As Leeds missed shots, Loughborough, or more specifically Jo Harten did not, and despite an unimpressive display by the Midland's institution they still led by seven at quarter time.

If Leeds were to have ever got near the gold medal they couldn't have asked for a better opportunity than Loughborogh's slack start to the game, but as throughout the entire contest, the Yorkshire side were lacking fight, leadership and spirit.

Loughborough's poor play continued into the second quarter allowing Leeds to cut the deficit to four goals. This seemed to wake up Loughborough and they then proceeded to put unanswered goal after unanswered goal on the score board, leading by eleven at the half.

Last year's runners up continued to increase their lead in the second half, whilst Leeds floundered in the final third. The game took on a physical edge in the third quarter with both teams becoming tetchy, but Leeds' fight was confined to physicality and never spilled over into a rallying comeback.

With the result beyond any doubt Carnegie head coach Anna Carter wrought the changes for the start of the fourth, bringing off Perks and moving Bloomfield to centre, Marshall to Goal Attack and Rachel Shaw to Goal Shooter. If Carter thought things couldn't get any worse for her team she was proven wrong when Shaw crumpled to the floor only a few minutes in, and had to be taken off with a suspected knee ligament injury.

This meant the reigning champions finished their title defence with two fourth team players in their line up. Loughborough certainly didn't show any mercy, seemingly still hurting from their agonising loss twelve months ago, Jo Harten hurriedly got the ball back to centre court for the restart in the dying seconds so as to add another goal to the tally, bringing the final deficit up to 31.