Omega Netball Club News

An early start for Omega 2 today with a 9.30am game against Buntingford who were 2 places above us on the league table, so it’s one we needed to take to give us a chance of remaining in division 1 next season.

A great start with Omega scoring the first three goals of the opening quarter, but Buntingford fought back to level scores quickly.  The team worked on the 2nd phase at training and today, the attackers put their practice into their game and it paid off.  In the first quarter in particular, we saw some great positioning by Heather Brophy, coupled with great feeds from her team players, Laura Robilliard, Francesca Weekly and Tara Pryde and all finished off with accurate shooting.    

The defence worked hard as a team and gave very little to the opposition in the entire game.  They also won several rebounds throughout and whilst they rotated their position,  each combination played with Mollie Knott, Claire Daw, Julie Stanbridge and Andrea Kinninmonth worked, with the players adjusting into their positions and role well each quarter.   Some good flexibility in the defence combinations played.

This was a decent performance from the team with some splashes of really slick, considered play with great decisions being made in the main.  However, the consistent unforced errors from the team resulted in them allowing the opposition to remain level on score by end of the first quarter and thereafter to slowly take and increase their lead each quarter. 

Fitness for Omega was not on form and proved costly.  This was evident as the game progressed, as the errors continued throughout and the ball passing / receiving became less considered.  We meet Hatfield Doves next, who are level on points on the league table, but sit above us due to goal average.  Some work on fitness this week, so we are ready for the must win game next Saturday.   

The first County fixture of 2023/24 season and Omega 2 meet a tough competitor in Watford Premier.      The Omega squad are newly put together and for the first time in many years, have a squad with subs on the bench!

The game started a little scrappy as the Omega team struggled to gel to move the ball to goal and the well rehearsed Watford Premier team capitalised on this to gain a quick and confident 9 goal lead in the first quarter.   Some solid circle defending saw some good turnovers by Mollie Knott and Julie Stanbridge, but the team failed to take advantage of these as the ball was returned to Watford Premier further down the court.

A change to the squad in the 2nd quarter sees Andrea Kinninmonth take the place of Mollie Knott in the GK position and Paige Boughton replace Francesca Weekly at WA.   The Omega team settled a little in this quarter resulting in a 6-goal lead increase for their opponents.  Again, many turnovers in the defensive circle by both GK Andrea and GD Julie, but again, we did not gain the fruits of our labour and many forced errors proved costly and allowing Watford Premier to again be quick to punish and steal the goal to further increase their lead.

A half time substitution of Mollie and Francesca back on court, with Mollie replacing Julie Stanbridge at GD and Francesca taking the C position from Tara Pryde, who moves to WA, replacing Paige.    Omega improved on their goal conversion this quarter, but likewise, so did Watford Premier and their lead grew once more.

The final quarter sees the return of Julie Stanbridge in place of Andrea and Paige in place of Claire Statham.  Omega persist with their efforts to gel as a team and continue to give all they have got to close their opponents goal advantage.  Two physical contacts from Watford Premier resulted in two injuries to Omega players, the first with a back injury for Tara and within minutes, a winding for Francesca.   Swift team position shuffles for the remainder of the game and it continues but Watford Premier are too strong, physical and rehearsed  for Omega to close the gap.   A great first game effort from the Omega squad, who individually are all strong, but have a lot of learning ahead of them in gelling as a team….but they will get there!

Omega knew this would be a tough game and they were not proven wrong, but we gained the needed point for the table, to start the season.  We’ll take that for this first game!

The first Herts County League fixture for Omega since February 2019 and the team meet Hatfield Phoenix.    A determined and focussed team take the court with the starting seven being Ruby Brett at GS, Laura Millard (Robilliard) at GA, Lucy Hoskin at WA, Lucy Andrews at C, Zoe O’Neill at WD, Samantha Abbott at GD, Phoebe Gillen at GK and Andrea Kinninmonth on the bench.

In the 1st quarter, we see an amazing performance from the entire squad, showing the opposition they’re up for a win in the first game.   The combination of Lucy Hoskin and Lucy Andrews is solid in the attacking play, finished off with consistent and confident shooting from both Ruby and Laura.  Likewise, at the other end of the court, the defence play from Zoe and particularly Sam and Phoebe in the defending circle, is tight and the many interceptions in the circle is testament to their dynamic play and reading the game.     The team lead 17-5 by the end of the first quarter, giving Omega the head start they need for their first game and a great lead to boost the teams confidence for the remainder of the game.

No change to the team taking the court for the 2nd quarter as the team have settled into the game so well.    A couple of well-won interceptions from Lucy Andrews on the oppositions centre-pass due to text book 2-hand marking, sees her winning the ball on 2 consecutive centre-passes.   In total, the team make 11 turnovers in this quarter, 5 of which are won by Lucy at C, allowing  the goal difference to increase further, ending the first half with a score of 35-14 to Omega.

For the 3rd quarter, Lucy Hoskins leaves the court, Zoe replacing her as WA and Andrea takes the court at WD. Hatfield also make some changes and bring on a new GK to unsettle the Omega shooters.   Omega take the first few minutes to regroup but soon get back into their stride once more.    The defence play in this quarter is solid once again and 12 more turnovers are won across all players from C to GK.  Hatfield’s change of GK has the desired impact with Omega’s attack having to work hard to find their shooters and the accuracy in the shooting taking a hit.   Hatfield manage to close the goal difference, winning the quarter 12 – 9, resulting in the score going into the final quarter being 44 – 26.

The Omega team remain the same for the final quarter and the team feel confident the win is in the bag, but they are told to think of the score as 0-0 and play the safe ball as they retake the court.   Another consistent quarter for the Omega defence who have shown their worth throughout the entire game.  The attack work hard once again to move the ball to goal, retaining possession throughout the court and finding their shooters.    Hatfield give the game all they’ve got, right to the bitter end, but the early lead in the 1st half of the game is too big for them to claw back, although they manage a draw in the final quarter.   The game ends 53-35 to Omega who put up a solid and exciting performance throughout the entire game.

An outstanding game from GK Phoebe, who read the game well and closed down the opportunity for Hatfield to find their shooters consistently.  A great confidence boost for the team to start the season and an amazing score to show for it.  Well done to all players!

A tough opposition for Omega 2 today as they replay Hornets,  whom they lost to in the first round of games, so they know they have to pull out the stops.  For the first time all season, Omega have three reserves on the bench and are keen to put on a performance.

The starting team take the court and it’s Hornets who start the game and succeed in converting the goal off their first centre pass, but Omega respond accordingly. However, Omega falter and their opposition capitalise on their errors, gaining a 3-goal roll on a couple of quick successions.   Omega regain composure and with the benefit of several defensive turnovers by GK, Louise Cousins and GD, Claire Statham, they fight back to remain in the game.   The final centre pass of the quarter is Hornet’s, but the goal is not scored before the end of the quarter, which ends 8-12 in Hornet’s favour.

Words of advise are given in the quarter break and with the team remaining as per the game start, they retake the court to start the second quarter.    The first half of the quarter continues unsettled, with Hornets stealing the first goal from Omega’s centre pass and continuing to open their lead to 21-13 by mid quarter.   The attack struggle to feed the shooters and we see Hornets taking advantage of this and winning possession on several occasions as a result.  Omega gain composure by mid-quarter and show that they are not ready to concede the game.  They begin to control the ball more confidently and the positioning from GS, Ruby Brett and GA, Emma Faulkner improves, allowing the C, Lucy Andrews and WA, Nicola Rantell to feed them more readily.  They fight back and close the goal gap to just one goal by mid-game, with a score of 23-24 to Hornets by half time.

A decision is taken to change the team dynamics and introduce fresh legs, in an attempt to gain control of the game.    Hornets start the third quarter and Omega are quick to stamp their mark on it.   They turnover the first centre pass to equalise the score and then gain the following five goals to give them the lead  for the first time.   This quarter we see  interceptions by Omega from WA, Megan Pryde, C, Lucy, WD, Nicola Rantell and GD, Sam Abbott and  several loose balls and rebounds collected by the defensive players.   The opposition soon settle after the first few minutes and the game goes goal for goal for the next few minutes, before Hornets fight back to regain control and claw back some goals.  The 3rd quarter ends with Omega having a 2-goal lead and a score of 37-35, leaving both teams everything to play for.

The team remains the same for the final quarter and Omega once again gain possession off the Hornets centre pass and secure the first goal.   In the opening minutes,  the game remains close and could go either way.  Omega soon take control and secure a 10 goal roll, with accuracy in shooting from GS Charlotte Ramejkis and GA, Emma Maidment.  The lead proves too difficult for their opposition to take hold of and Omega they force their opposition to error on numerous occasions, each time punish their mistakes.  This matched with the very few errors from Omega, give them the advantage and the lead they need.  This quarter is owned by Omega who are determined to secure the win and do so with a confident final score of 56-45.

The game ends a very successful day for the club, starting with a mixed Youth/C team win against Tornadoes, followed by the first win for our U13’s against Cheshunt.  A hatrick win for Omega and well deserved by all teams!  This win places the B team 4th on the league table….a big improvement on the start of the first part of the season!

The first game of 202o and the B team meet Watford Premier….the team that they drew with after having a 12 goal lead in the first round of the games, so they know this will be a tough game and that they will need to give 100%.

With the full squad available for the game, the team have options to work with and for the opening quarter, Megan and Nicola take the bench to support their team.  Omega start the game and take the first goal comfortably and Watford Prem do the same, but a dropped ball at the Omega shooting circle allows Watford to start an early lead as they secure a goal from Omega’s error.   A chance for Omega to equalise the score comes quickly as the Watford WA breaks at centre pass, but Omega are unsuccessful with goal conversion and fail to balance the scores.    More opportunities present themselves and Omega manage to equalise, but it’s short lived as Omega fail to capitalise on an intercept by GD, Sam Abott and the opening quarter ends with a score of 15-12 to Watford.

For the second quarter, Megan replaces Emma Faulkner at WA and Nicola replaces Claire at WD and the team take the court.  The second quarter is not the finest of netball from Omega with a few errors made and many missed attempts at goal, which Watford are quick to respond to and penalise Omega at every chance. Omega managed to claw back some goals and the lead is reduced to just four goals, but once again, it’s short lived and the lead opens again to the seven goals at the start of the quarter.  Omega struggle to make the ball flow to goal this quarter and their opponents take advantage, opening their lead by a further 4 goals to end the first half of the game with a score of 28 – 21.

A further change to the team at half time, sees Emma Faulkner replace Ruby at GS, Sam moving to GK to replace Louise and Claire taking up the GD position.  A slow start is seen as the team try to settle into their positions and Watford extend their lead further, leaving Omega 10 goals down.  BUT the turn of the game comes as a contact call is made against the Watford GS and Omega swiftly move the ball to Emma Maidment in the shooting circle, who relaxes into her stride and steals the goal.  From here on, Omega apply the pressure across the entire team, forcing their opposition to error frequently as we see forced balls, 3 second calls and dropped balls and this time, Omega flow with their play, linking well mid court and patiently waiting for the right opportunities to present themselves, to work the ball to their shooters, who confidently convert the shots.   The team work well together and manage to claw back the score to level-peggings at 38-38 by end of the quarter.

As the team is now settled, the decision is taken to keep it as is.  Both teams have everything to play for and both are determined to take the win.  Each team succeed in securing goals from their respective centre passes.  Omega continue to apply the pressure throughout the quarter and manage to take a 2 goal lead, but don’t manage to maintain it.  Watford fight back and once again, level the score. In the final minutes, the play goes goal for goal and the heat is on for both teams.  Omega dig deep and show controlled play, which allows them to secure a final score in their favour of 51-50.

A great start to 2020, with the boot on the other foot for the repeat game as this time it’s Omega who claw back the deficit goals, but this time to win the game, rather than a draw.

Omega B team face Hatfield Phoenix in Division 1 of the Herts County League and they know they need to take the win today.    The team have a bare 7 players, with Sam Abbott in reserve, but having been unwell all week, isn’t really up to taking the court.

Omega start the game and they succeed in taking their first goal to set them on the right path, but they falter at their next attempt at goal and Hatfield take their advantage and secure the next 3 goals to give them an early lead.  The next few minutes run in the same vein, resulting in Hatfield being up 7-3 as Omega struggle to settle into the game.   However Omega’s more controlled team efforts are soon rewarded as they begin to find their stride and the score takes a turn.  Omega’s controlled teamwork begins to pay off and they apply the pressure on their opposition.  A few minutes off the boil in the final minutes sees Hatfield secure 4 consecutive goals, but once again, Omega take hold and by the end of the first quarter, they secure a 1-goal lead and a score of 15-14 as Hatfield miss their final opportunity to level the score on their final centre pass.

Omega start the second quarter and once again take the first goal.  The defending play by all players gives the team well earned extra opportunities at goals as 6 of the 7 players turnover the game to their advantage.   This coupled with superb shooting since the start of the game by both GA, Emma Maidment and GS, Ruby Brett, securing 15 goals per quarter between them and each only missing one goal from the start, sees them begin to take control of the game and increase their lead, ending the first half of the game leading 30-24.

The team chat is positive, with a couple of pointers given on ways to improve their chances, but the team know they need to keep the momentum up to the end of the game as they know how easy it is to lose the lead.  This quarter Hatfield start, but unlike Omega, they fail to gain the first goal and Omega are quick to punish their errors.   Another great shooting quarter and once again, the whole team apply the pressure on the defending play, which allows the team to increase their lead by a further 2 goals, holding them in good stead for the final quarter, with a score of 44-36 in their favour.

Once again the team chat is positive, but again they are aware they have to continue to apply the pressure and maintain their team discipline and control to the end as Hatfield have not given up the ghost and are also keen to obtain the win.    Omega are lucky to start the final quarter and maintain their pattern of securing the first goal of the quarter.  The whole team defend well and it’s a good job they do as the pressure in the final quarter sees several attempts at goal being unsuccessful.  However the goals are secured by both teams on their own centre passes for the majority of the quarter.  A blip in the final minutes sees each team take a turn at 3-consecutive goals as both teams fight hard to compete for the game.   The final few seconds of the game and Hatfield miss their shot and Omega are given a goal line throw-in, but a contact call in the circle, sees Hatfield awarded with a penalty shot to end the game, which fortunately for Omega, they miss and the game ends with Omega taking the win and a score of 56-49.

A well contested game by both teams and a display of much improved control and settled teamwork by Omega which paid dividends, giving them the much needed win and the 5 points for the league table, they have been seeking.

Today, fourth position of the Herts County League, Division 1 table, Omega 2 face 2nd position AFNNC Solar.   This is expected to be a very tough match as statistically, AFNNC Solar can still qualify for the playoffs as they sit just 2 points behind the top of the table.

The game starts and it’s looking to be the game it is expected with AFNNC Solar taking an early lead 4-1 in the opening minutes.   However, Omega are determined and keen to give it their all and soon get their act together to close the lead and the play is matched by both teams.   A fall in the centre third on Omega’s centre pass sees C, Lucy Andrews on the floor but the team adamant they were not calling for injury time.  However the umpire looks to the bench and sees the coach indicating with his hands and the decision is made.  Confusion in the team is evident as no-one understands why Lucy has to leave the court.   A swift change of Molly Brett from WD to C and the game continues with AFNNC taking the next goal and Lucy is allowed back on court, but has to return to the vacant position.   Rather than unsettle the team, they become more determined and battle on for the rest of the quarter.   Great teamwork in the whole attack from WA, Emma Faulkner; C, Molly Brett, GA, Emma Maidment, finished off with fantastic movement and shooting by GS, Ruby Brett sees the team not only claw back the deficit goals, but take a 1-goal lead by end of the quarter, with a score of 13-12.

A quick reshuffle back to starting positions in the quarter break and the team settle back into the game.  Both teams give their all as neither want to loose the battle as each are as competitive as the other.   This quarter doesn’t flow so well for Omega with the team not always seeing their shooter, but also seeing a more static shooter than the first half, which makes GA, Emma work for her money (not that she gets any!!!).   Neither team make many errors, but Solar manage to benefit more from Omega’s and once again take the lead by end of the quarter, with a result by half time of 26-28 to Solar.

Hannah Brown steps in to GS and Ruby Brett takes the bench to start the second half.  Omega struggle to settle at the start, but soon get into their stride and adapt well to change their feeding style as a result of the change of shooter.  However, they are still not always feeding the circle at the first opportunity and giving GA, Emma the extra pressure.   Omega make more mistakes this quarter, loosing many balls with congestion and lack of player spacial awareness and positioning, putting more pressure on defence players GK, Louise Cousins and GD, Sam Abbott, who battle on in an attempt to prevent the goals.  However AFNNC Solar grasps every opportunity to score and stretch their lead, ending the quarter 46-40 to Solar.

A final chat, a swap of position for Molly into WA and Emma Faulkner into WD and a determined team retake the court.  Ready to give their all to the bitter end, they know that a 6 goal deficit is going to be hard to overcome in the final quarter, particularly to a strong opposition.   The change of dynamics sees some fantastic feeds from WA, Molly to GS, Hannah from the centre circle or just inside the goal third on several occasions, resulting in the team managing to close the lead in the first half of the quarter.  GD, Sam and GK, Louise apply the pressure in defence this quarter, coupled with interceptions from C, Lucy, which allow them to win over some much needed balls to allow the team to begin to take the lead.  An excited bench are screaming their support and encouraging the team to play the ball safe in the latter minutes and wait for the right opportunity to move it forward.  The team took heed and the reward paid off, seeing a fantastic win for the team and a final result of 59-55!

A great game to watch and one which was well contested by both teams and well managed by strong umpires.  A great end to the season, securing the team in fourth position for their first season in Division 1.  Well deserved to the whole squad who have played this season…..and to those who have helped out when needed.