Loughborough defeated as Carnegie march on

Leeds Met 50 Loughborough 45

by student sports reporter Joseph Fitzpatrick

Leeds Met hosted Loughborough University on Wednesday for the first meeting of the two teams since the BUCS National Championship final last season, and the result was the same.

Carnegie battled their way to a 50-45 victory to send them six points clear at the top of BUCS Premier North, and with the three teams tied for second place all having lost two fixtures the conference is effectively Leeds' to lose. Jamaican Goalkeeper Afrika Morris made a return to Headingley, however it was in a Loughborough dress having left Yorkshire to play for the Midlands side, her final BUCS game for Leeds being the BUCS Championship final.

Leeds made a ferocious start to the game, pressuring Loughborough in every third and Goalkeeper Danielle Bloomfield was relentless in turning the ball over five times by herself. Carnegie's defensive intensity translated successfully to their offense and despite taking excessive contact every time they caught the ball, a theme that was to develop throughout the game, the Leeds attack shot accurately ensuring the home side went into the second quarter leading 14-8.

Carnegie did not ease up in the second period and instead further enhanced their lead as their defence made Loughborough earn every shot. At the other end of the court, the Leeds shooters, Joanne Walker and Rachel Shaw, were thoroughly out playing their overzealous defenders, aided by the excellent service provided by Centre Natalie Panagarry and WA Fran Marshall.

Towards the end of the first half however, Loughborough were beginning to show signs of imposing themselves on the game more, and they carried this momentum into the third quarter, a quarter they won 15-8. The away defence, Afrika especially, continued to be excessively physical resulting in GS Joanne Walker being forced to take a time out after being struck in the face. However Leeds dispelled the attempted comeback thanks to a great Fran Marshall interception which she followed with a perfectly weighted ball into Walker who converted gladly, leaving Afrika stranded. The quarter ended with yet more Loughborough physicality, first Leeds' WD Steph Wilson injured her ankle and then Walker received another shot from Afrika, this time to the ribs, although both players were forced to refrain from calling a time out because of Walker's previous injury earlier in the quarter.

The home side took a delicate 38-34 lead into the final 15 minutes and were brilliantly unyielding despite at least three players visibly struggling through injury; Walker and Wilson had not recovered from the previous quarter's clashes, and over 45 minutes on the CRI hall floor was beginning to take its effect on Rachel Shaw's tendinitis. A fact that did nothing but encourage Loughborough's physicality, and after Shaw had been slammed to the ground both Captains were called to the umpire who threatened to abandon the game should the rough play not stop.

This marked the climax to the sub-plot of aggressive and physical play and attention reverted back to netball which was not to Loughborough's benefit as Leeds won the quarter by a single goal and the game by five, 50-45. Their victory being thoroughly deserved having outplayed their opponents in every position, displaying that they can not only achieve a lead but can then subsequently defend it under pressure.

After the game Leeds WA Fran Marshall said: "It was a well contested game and all the girls stood up to the physicality of the Loughborough side, which showed just how much we wanted to beat them. There are still things we, as a team can work on, but we are very positive going into the second half of the season."

Leeds Met will be hoping to make it six wins from six in BUCS when they host city rivals Leeds University next Wednesday.