Omega Netball Club News

Omega 2’s take on Turnford 3 in the second round of the Herts County League, Division 1 fixtures, with  a new setup for the team and with Sophie Humphry out of position in GD.

Turnford start the game and are quick to secure the first goal.  Omega loose their first centre pass, but get a second chance as they win back the ball for GA, Emma Maidment to score.   Turnford take the third goal, then Omega settle into their game and get on an early roll to take the next 4 goals to gain an early lead, however this doesn’t last long as Turnford quickly respond and equalise the score once more.   Tight defending in our defence circle by GD, Sophie Humprhy and GK, Louise Cousins sees Turnford trying to force feed their shooters and the ball being thrown off the goal line on a couple of occasions, allowing Omega to capitalise on their errors.  This quarter sees Omega taking the lead on three occasions helped by interceptions by WA, Lucy Andrews, WD, Molly Brett and GD, Sophie , but every time, Turnford fight back hard and equalise the score before Omega try again.  Also seen this quarter is GA, Emma Maidment getting into her stride, supporting the team in bringing the ball to the circle and working well with GS, Ruby Brett to for each to demonstrate accuracy in their shots.  In the final minute, Omega get the opportunity to secure a one-goal lead to go into the next quarter, but an error in Omega’s shooting circle gives Turnford the same chance.  Lucky for Omega they miss the shot and GK, Louise Cousins wins the rebound on the whistle, leaving the score 11-11.

The second quarter starts in a similar vein to the first, with each team taking their first goal and Omega getting on a run with three consecutive goals, but once again, Turnford fight back to keep the goal difference close.  Turnford Centre goes offside in their shooting circle and Omega capitalise on the error and take the goal.    Another chance for Omega thanks to an interception by GD, Sophie, who manages to knock the ball up court , but in the usual Omega fashion, we fail to pick up the loose ball and Turnford take the goal to close the gap in the score to just one goal at 21-20 to Omega.  Turnford have the next centre pass and play it safe and their shooters reward them to equalise the score 21-21.   A goal line pass and GA, Emma Maidment is called for a foul throw for stepping on court before releasing the ball and Turnford capitalise on the umpire’s decision, giving them a one goal lead.  GD, Sophie intercepts the ball once more, but again Omega loose the ball in their defensive third and Turnford punish them.  Turnford have the final centre pass of the first half of the game and secure their goal to leave the score 22-24 to Turnford going into the second half of the game.

Omega bring on sub, Hannah Brown, replacing Ruby Brett in the GS position.  Omega loose their first attempt at goal on the first centre pass with a missed shot and Turnford increase their lead further having secured the first two goals of the quarter.  Omega are not ready to concede the game and show great determination as they begin to claw back the goals, forcing their opposition to falter.  WA, Emma Faulkner intercepts the ball, followed by WD, Molly which allows Omega to equalise 29-29 early in the quarter.  Defensive players Louise and Sophie apply the pressure on their opponents and Louise wins a rebound, but is called for ball handling and Turnford secure the goal.   Turnford take the lead once more, but both teams dig deep, each determined to take and maintain the lead, but Omega succeed in their quest in the final minutes and this is the turnaround in the game.   With 1.7 seconds on the clock, it’s Turnford’s centre pass and their WA instructs their C to hold on to the ball, but she passes it and they loose their advantage to start the final quarter.

Going into the final quarter, Omega are leading 41-36 and are told to play the ball safely to goal.   Turnford’s GS misses two attempts at a goal and the ball is knocked out of the circle. This time the loose ball is ssuccessfully picked up by WD, Molly and the team work the ball up-court to find GS, Hannah Brown, to secure the goal.     Turnford contact on Omega’s pass mid court and they take the ball from GA, Emma, but there is no decision made by the umpires, resulting in Turnford taking the ball to their shooters, but karma is evident as their shot is missed and the ball is back in Omega’s hands.  Omega take the ball to their circle edge and attempt to feed a high ball into Hannah, but the Turnford GK tips the ball and Turnford shooters get another chance.  They miss again and the ball is worked back to Omega’s shooters and this time they score.   A forced feed from WA, Emma to GS, Hannah goes off the goal line and Turnford punish the error with a goal.  With five minutes remaining in the quarter, the score is 54-42 to Omega and GD, Sophie intercepts the feed to the Turnford shooters, but a long ball up the court is not met and Turnford gain possession to take the goal.   A missed shot by GA, Emma sees her immediately turn on her defensive play, determined to win back the ball, which she is quick to achieve, just outside the circle and this time she plants it through the net to reward her efforts.  An interception on Turnford’s centre pass by WD, Molly gives Omega another goal to increase their lead to 13 goals and in the final twp minutes of the game, Turnford GS is called for ball handling on two separate occasions and each time Omega are quick to capitalise on their error, allowing the final score of 60-45 to Omega.  A well deserved win to end a great display of netball.

Omega 2 meet top of Division 1 table, Turnford 4 in the 2nd half of the Herts County League games.   Having been robbed of the win in the first half of the season, Omega were keen to secure the win this time round.

Emma Faulkner and Ruby Brett took the bench for the 1st quarter and the  game started well with Omega defending strongly from C, Nicola Rantell through to Andrea Kinninmonth at GK,  keeping the score tight in the opening quarter.  GD, Sam Abbott was on fire, turning the game over on 6 occasions to give Omega a great head-start on the game and an early lead by the end of the 1st quarter, with a score of 12-10 to Omega.

A one-part change sees Nicola Rantell take the bench, replaced in C by Emma Faulkner.  The second quarter was once again matched play with accuracy in the shooting displayed by both teams, but Omega once again had the edge on Turnford and managed to maintain control, enabling them to increase their lead by a further 4 goals by end of the 1st half of the game, giving them the advantage going into the second half, with a score of 26-22.

Another change for the third quarter, sees Nicola return to the C position and Emma Faulkner moving to WD, as Molly Brett takes the bench.  The third quarter saw Turnford return to court determined to give all they had to keep them in the game.   Omega were not so hot on the turnarounds and Turnford put the pressure on the Omega attack, resulting in the shooting accuracy taking a hit.  Turnford managed to claw back the goal deficit by end of the quarter, equalising the score at 36-36 for the final quarter.

A whole lot of changes to the team in an attempt to change the team dynamics,  sees Andrea Kinninmonth taking the bench, replaced by Hannah Brown in GK and Ruby Brett taking her GS position from Hannah.  Additional changes saw Leanne Mansfield take the bench, replaced at WA by Molly Brett.   The changes proved costly for the team as they were unsettled and struggled adapt the passing and feeds for the new setup…lesson learnt for future!  Turnford took advantage of this and took the lead for the first time in the game,  which they held on to, to the end.  The final score was 47-41 to Turnford, but this time round, they deserved the result.

For the first time all season, Omega have a squad of 12 for their 2nd round fixture against Watford Premier, who they beat by just one goal in the 1st half of the season.  The squad know it won’t be an easy game, but are ready to give their all.

The starting team being GS – Hannah Brown; GA – Sophie Humphry; WA – Leanne Mansfield; C – Nicola Rantell; WD – Molly Brett; GD – Sam Abbott and GK – Louise Cousins.  On the bench are Emma Faulkner, Andrea Kinninmonth and welcoming back for their first Herts League game after the birth of each of their 2nd child, Emma Maidment and Lucy Andrews.

Watford Prem start the game and Omega are tense.  The team take some time to settle and the nerves are apparent as we miss shots and make errors.  However, some great interceptions are seen by Nicola Rantell, Molly Brett, Sam Abbott and Sophie Humphry, but as soon as we gain the ball, we swiftly return it to the opposition.  With a score of 10-9 to Watford Prem, Omega have the opportunity to equalise as they closely mark the opposition, forcing a held ball call, however we don’t capitalise on this advantage and Watford maintain the lead to the end of the quarter.  With 5 seconds remaining, Omega have the final centre pass, but they have failed to note the limited time and as a result, miss the opportunity to fast-track the ball to the shooters and the quarter ends 12-13 to Watford.

A change at quarter time sees Nicola Rantell take the bench and Emma Faulkner picking up the C position.   Watford Prem have the opening centre pass once more, but it’s Omega who take the first goal to equalise the score.   Omega take their centre pass to goal, but a missed shot sees the ball back with the opposition and the tables turned.  Some clean interceptions by Molly Brett, Sam Abbott and Leanne Mansfield sees the ball returned to the shooters and each rewarded for their efforts,  with a goal from our shooters.  Omega take the lead and are up by 3 goals midway through the quarter, but Watford Prem are feisty and fight back to take back the lead once more.  Omega make more errors than intercepts this quarter, but manage to keep the goal difference to 1 goal by half time, with a score of 28-29 to Watford.

A big change at half time, sees Hannah and Sophie taking the bench, replaced by Ruby Brett and Emma Maidment in the shooting circle.  Additionally, Leanne Mansfield is replaced at WA by Lucy Andrews, Molly Brett is replaced at WD by Nicola Rantell and Hannah Brown moves to the opposite end of the court, replacing Louise Cousins at GK.   For the first time in the game, Omega start the play and are successful in taking the first goal.    Ruby Brett, our youngest player,  settles well into the GS position, with great inter-passing from Emma Maidment at GA and it looks to be a great start.   The team struggle to turn the game to their advantage, but fight hard to contain their opponents and turnover the game on 7 occasions, with great intercepts by Nicola, Lucy and Sam, but we also loose the ball on 9 occasions, which allows Watford to increase their lead by a further goal.

The final quarter and Omega are 2 down and another big change around of the team in the last ditch attempt to change up the dynamics sees Andrea Kinninmonth taking the court for the final quarter, replacing Hannah Brown as GK, Lucy Andrews moving to C, Leanne returning to WA, Emma Faulkner moving from C to WD and Sam Abbott replaced at GD by Nicola Rantell.    Both teams are aware that the game is likely to go to the wire and neither team are ready to be defeated.   Omega manage to equalise the score on a couple of occasions and finally take the lead by mid quarter, but only by 1 or 2 goals.  Contact calls against Nicola outside the circle, sees Andrea covering both shooters, but she manages to keep her feet moving around the players and drives forward to intercept the pass, gaining possession for the team on a couple of occasions.    The final score is a deja vu moment, with Omega taking the game by 1 goal, which is exactly what happened in the 1st half fixtures between both teams.  This resulted in Omega having a 9 point lead on Watford Prem on the league tables, sitting comfortably in 4th position, levelling on points with 3rd place, SAS who have a slight lead on goal difference by just 2 goals.

The first game of the second half of the season and it’s the rematch between Omega 2 and Equals.  Both teams are mid table, with Omega sitting just 2 places above Equals at the end of the 1st half of the season.

The start of the game is Equal’s but a missed shot by their shooter is rebounded by GK, Louise Cousins and the team take the ball to the circle, but the ball is lost and Equals take it back to their shooter, who misses the shot once more and a second rebound by Louise gives Omega another chance, which this time, GS, Hannah Brown succeeds in converting, giving the first goal of the game to Omega.   A chance to take the next goal and an early lead is missed as a held ball call at our centre pass proves fatal and Equals punish.  Both teams battle hard to gain the goal advantage and Omega’s WA, Leanne Mansfield shows great determination, tipping the ball at Equal’s centre pass, but can’t hold on to it and is called for ball-handling.  Next is an unforced error by Equals WD, who footworks and it’s Omega’s turn to gain from their error.  The quarter is tight until the final minutes, when a couple of errors with force-feeding and missed shots allows Equals to end the quarter with a 2-goal lead and score of 16-14.

A change at quarter time sees Emma Faulkner take the bench and Nicola Rantell picking up the centre position.  A great start to the quarter sees Omega clawing back the 2-goal deficit in the first three minutes, equalising the score 17-17, but the draw is short lived as Omega loose their centre pass and Equals capitalise on it.    Another error at our next centre pass allows our opposition to increase the lead once more as they punish every error with their accurate shooting.  The remainder of the quarter is neck and neck, with some great accuracy in shooting by GA, Ruby Brett, converting 100% of her shots.  A rebound by Louise Cousins gives the team an opportunity to close the lead but Equals read the pass mid court and steal the ball and the goal as a result.  The final 8 seconds of the quarter and first half, and WD, Molly Brett seizes the opportunity to lob the ball in to Hannah Brown, but with slightly more power behind the ball than needed, it goes off the goal-line.   The first half of the game ends with Equals still in the lead by 3 goals, with a score of 29-26.

The third quarter sees Ruby Brett taking the bench, replaced at GA by Emma Faulkner.    The quarter starts and Omega know the game is not lost and continue to contest the game.  Some great ball marking by WA, Leanne Mansfield on a sideline throw in, wins a held ball call as the marked player cannot find her team members.  The ball is linked well down to Hannah, who rewards the team with the goal.  Great circle defence by GD, Sam Abbott and GK, Louise Cousins results in Equals force-feeding their shooters, which goes off the goal-line.  Omega take the ball to their shooters again, but the ball is lost once more and Equals take the goal.    A great steal mid court by C, Nicola Rantell and the ball is taken to GS, Hannah Brown, who falls to the ground and calls time for an ankle injury, which results in her leaving the court and being replaced in GS by Ruby Brett.  Some great  turnovers by the mid-court players, Molly Brett, Nicola Rantell and Leanne Mansfield, coupled with accurate shooting by Emma Faulkner at GA, allows Omega to take the lead mid quarter with a score of 37-35.   The team work together to apply the pressure on the opposition and link well on the attack play, with more turnarounds by all players, than errors on display this quarter.   The final 2.30 mins on the clock and Omega loose their centre pass, which allows Equals to claw back the lead and equalise the score 40-40, but the team fight hard once more to gain back their lead.  The final 8 seconds on the clock and Omega loose possession of the ball and as defence have taken their eyes off their opposition, the ball finds Equals GA with ease, however she misses the final opportunity to equalise as she misses the shot and the quarter ends with a score of 42-41.

A final change to the team, with Hannah Brown returning to court, this time at the other end of the court at GK, replacing Louise Cousins who takes the bench.  One goal ahead going into the final quarter, but it’s Equals who restart the game, taking the first goal to equalise.  A missed shot by Omega sees us loose the ball, however Equals WD is called for ball handling and Omega gain another opportunity, but a fluffed pass in the shooting circle sees the ball back in the oppositions hands once more.   GD, Sam Abbott prevents Equals from capitalising on the goal, intercepting the pass at a crucial point and this time Omega take to goal.    With ten minutes remaining, Omega are up by 3 goals, but Equals are not giving up and manage to reduce the lead to just 1 goal once more.  The lead fluctuates again with Omega increasing to 3 goals and Equals reducing it back to 1.  The final minutes with 1 goal lead and it’s Equals centre pass, but they loose the ball off their goal line and Omega seize the chance to secure their lead and succeed in their mission.  1.30 remaining on the clock and another error by Equals sees the ball traverse the side-line and Omega gaining another goal to increase their lead.  10 secs to go and GK, Hannah Brown intercepts the ball in the circle and the team are swift to link the ball down court to their shooters.  An obstruction by Equals GK, sees Omega gaining a penalty shot on the final whistle.  As Emma takes the shot, Equals GD also obstructs, leaving a clear shot for Emma, who doesn’t disappoint!

An exciting, albeit sometimes scrappy first game, with displays of ups and downs in the play throughout.   Nevertheless, a great result, with the final score of 53-49 to Omega, which pushes them into fourth position on the division table and just one point behind third place, SAS Reds, who they play next week!

The final game of the 1st half of the season and it’s expected to be the toughest as Omega 2 meet the top of the Division 1 table, Abbey Flyers Nomads (AFN) Solar.

AFN start the game, but swiftly loose possession as their GA is called for held ball.  However, Omega fail to keep the ball mid court, but luck is on their side as the AFN WA footworks and this time Omega punish the error, taking the first goal.  In the opening minutes, Omega show the opposition that this is not going to be a walkover as they compete at every opportunity.  Each team make unforced errors this quarter and the game is neck and neck for majority of the time.  Superb defending by GK, Hannah Brown, playing out of position, sees her turning the game around 5 times in the quarter, giving the team ample opportunities to take an early lead, however the team make many errors with passing the ball and attempts at feeding the shooters which hinders their chances, resulting in AFN leading 11-8 by end of the quarter.

A change at quarter time sees GS, Ruby Brett taking the bench, Hannah Brown taking her position and Andrea Kinninmonth stepping into the role of GK after Hannah has set the bar high!   The start of the quarter is not Omega’s best as AFN take the first 4 goals, extending their lead even further.  Omega take time to settle, but succeed by mid quarter, with  strong defending by the team from C court to GK, resulting in 9 turnovers throughout the quarter.   Their determination and fight paying off, winning the quarter 17-11.

The team chat at half time highlights the congestion mid court on our attack play and solutions identified in an attempt to alleviate it.  The team are fired up to compete to the end and return to court prepared to give their all.  This quarter sees more unforced errors, with a couple of breaks on our centre-pass, footwork and a held ball call, but the score goes goal for goal throughout.  This is a better quarter for court play and moving the ball forward with fewer errors than the 1st half of the game, however AFN manage to claw back some goals, reducing the lead to just one goal going into the final quarter and a score of 35-34.

Omega are aware the final quarter will be tight and the chat is one of playing the safe ball and keeping possession to take to goal.  Both teams give their all as they fight to take the game.  The final minutes and Omega are still leading.   Confusion in the defence’s communication with the back-line pass and the AFN GS steals the ball and punishes with a goal, but Omega still have the upper hand.  The final minute and Omega fail to hold the lead as errors are made and AFN take the goals to equalise and it’s AFNs final centre pass with seconds remaining on the clock.  Omega know they need to defend hard and cleanly to prevent the goal.  They succeed in the challenge as AFN attempt to put up the shot, but the whistle blows and the shot is missed.

Omega are happy with the draw of 47-47 against the top of the table, allowing them to sit comfortably mid table by the end of the 1st half of the fixtures.

With two of the regular shooters playing up for the 1st team in their away game against MK Netters Gold in Bedford, the team are uneasy for this game.  They call on Charlotte Ramejkis from the 3rd team to fill-in to shoot and welcome back Sam Abbott for her first game this season.

The team settle in to the first quarter and have a great opening to the game, working well as a team.  The two shooters, Charlotte Ramejkis at GS and Ruby Brett at GA, have a solid quarter, securing a good head start for the team, converting 14 goals between them.    The rest of the team defend well and manage to keep Hornets chasing the lead, ending the quarter 14-8 for Omega, giving the team the boost they need for the rest of the game.

The second quarter starts well, with Omega limiting Hornets to just 3 goals to their 9 in the first half.  Once again, the whole team defend well, with all mid-court and defense players intercepting the ball on at least one occasion.  GK, Louise Cousins, GD, Sam Abbott and WD, Molly Brett apply the pressure to their opposition and force them to make many an error, resulting in the ball crossing the goal line, interceptions and missed shots.  Omega open their lead in this quarter with another 17 goals scored, versus just 10 by Hornets, securing a comfortable lead of 31-18 going into the second half of the game.

Hornets start the 3rd quarter and take the first goal.    Centre, Nicola Rantell is fierce in hunting the interception, stealing the ball on Hornets 2nd centre-pass and Charlotte rewards her with a goal.  Hornets fight back and begin to claw back the goals, reducing the lead to just 10 goals.  Omega make some unforced errors this quarter with balls not being caught and balls thrown off court.  With five and half minutes remaining in the quarter, Hornets have clawed a further 2 goals, reducing the gap further, to just 8 goals, but the whole Omega defence  and C, Nicola Rantell continue to apply the pressure and pick up several loose balls, rebounds and interception.  This quarter is won by Hornets 16-13, resulting in the score going into the final quarter being 44-34 to Omega.

With positive encouragement and support from the team bench, Omega return to the court wanting the win.   Likewise, Hornets are keen to fight to the bitter end and take the first 2 goals of the quarter, but Omega reciprocate on the 3rd and 4th goal.   C, Nicola tips many a ball throughout the quarter, stealing the ball on a couple of occasions.  This coupled with GK, Louise winning several rebounds as a result of missed opportunities by the Hornets shooters, keeps the team in the lead.  Omega make some errors again in this quarter with a break at centre pass, ball handling, footwork and missed shots, but the lead they created in the first half of the game is too big for Hornets to pull back and Omega take the game 56-48.

A fantastic result for the team and a big thank you to Charlotte for filling in.  A great performance from the whole team, with great defensive play and determination demonstrated by everyone.  A well played game by 15 year old Ruby Brett in her first game at GA in the Herts County League.

Having had a couple of weeks break from Herts League games, Omega are feeling apprehensive about the game, but ready to give it our all.   The starting seven are GS – Hannah Brown, GA – Sophie Humphry, WA – Emma Faulkner, C – Nicola Rantell, WD – Ruby Brett, GD – Claire Daw and GK – Andrea Kinninmonth.

The game starts well with Omega taking an early lead as we demonstrate great control of the ball, accurate passing and shooting throughout the quarter, finished off with superb teamwork by GS Hannah Brown and GA Sophie Humphry in our attack circle.  GK, Andrea Kinninmonth closed down the Turnford GS well, defending the space and marking the ball on the shot, resulting in some missed shots from a player who is usually an accurate shooter.  However, in the final seconds of the quarter, Andrea reduced her distance as the GS is about to take the shot, resulting in a penalty is given on the whistle and Turnford punish with the goal.  The opening quarter ends with a fantastic lead for Omega, with a score of 19-8.

Some player changes in the 2nd quarter sees Ruby moving from WD to GS, Hannah from GS to GK, Andrea taking the bench and Molly picking up the WD position.  Turnford have also made a change to their GS, replacing her with another shooter from the bench.  As the quarter starts, Hannah makes her first interception from the Turnford centre pass and the team take the ball to Ruby in GS to reward with the goal.     Turnford put up a fight for the the game this quarter and begin to claw back the goals, closing down the lead.  Ten minutes into the quarter and Turnford’s GA footworks in the circle and Omega seize the opportunity to take it to goal, but a poor feed from the circle edge sees Turnford regaining possession and the goal.  The Turnford GK picks up a caution for persistent obstruction and with 8 seconds remaining in the quarter, it’s Omega’s centre pass but in our haste to get the ball to goal, the ball goes off the goal line.  The first half of the game ends 28 – 20, with Turnford winning the 2nd quarter 12-9.

A rethink on the planned play schedule at half time and a further change to the team sees Hannah back at GS, Ruby at WD, Molly moving to WA, Louise Cousins taking the court as GK and Emma Faulkner taking the bench.    Turnford start the 2nd half, but an unforced footwork error by their GA allows Omega to take the first goal.   A long ball feed from the centre court to our shooters, proves a little hasty as the ball goes off the goal line and we loose possession.  As Turnford take the goal line pass, their WD injures her ankle and calls time, resulting in her leaving the court and being replaced from the bench.  The game restarts and a footwork call in our shooting circle sees our opposition gain the ball and steal a goal and with the next centre pass theirs, they re-close the lead that Omega had gained at the beginning of the quarter, but this is short lived as by just over half way through the quarter, Omega have opened the lead back up to 12 goals.   Some tooing and froing of the ball possession by both teams takes hold in the final minutes with an interceptions from GK Louise, which is quickly lost again mid court with a long feed to Hannah, but is won back again by GD, Claire Daw and this time Hannah finishes it off with a goal.   A much better quarter, with Omega taking the quarter 18-8 and the game score of 46-28 going into the final quarter.

With the play improved and settled, the decision for the final quarter is to keep the status quo with the team.   Omega start the quarter and are rewarded once again by Hannah with the goal.    The first four goals of the quarter go goal for goal but a blip in Omega’s performance sees Turnford pick up the next four goals.  Omega take hold and settle back into their game.  Some errors made by both teams, with contact calls and ball handling, sees the ball tooing and frooing between teams once again.  Omega falter deep into the quarter with a loss of possession on our centre pass and a couple of missed shots, allowing Turnford to claw back some goals.  Confusion sets in as Turnford shoot for goal and the ball goes into the net, but the net bounces it back out again, however the decision is taken to allow the goal to stand.  One minute to go and we loose the ball on our centre pass, but GD, Claire intercepts to win it back and Hannah rewards her once more.  The final 12 seconds on the scoreboard are noted by all and it’s Omega centre pass.  We safely find Hannah for our 60th goal and she obliges, just before the final whistle.

A great display of netball, showing determination to the end.  The win sees us sitting at seventh on the league table with 23 points.  However there are only 6 points between us and the top of the table, AFN Solar and only 1 point between us and sixth position, Equals.  The top half of the table are all fighting for positions, with just 1 or 2 points between each place, so the league is still up for grabs by everyone!

Midway game through the first round of games and Omega 2 meet AFN Comets.  So far, both teams have won and lost games, so the game could go either way.  A core seven players for Omega for the game so fitness is key.

Comets start the game, but Omega are on form and steal possession to take the first goal.  The first quarter saw some great play from Omega with on-target shooting, from GS, Hannah Brown and GA, Sophie Humphry, coupled with some superb feeds from C, Molly Brett and WA, Leanne Mansfield Hannah  positions herself well in the circle.  The accuracy with shooting is matched by Comets and the 1st quarter goes goal for goal, but Omega fight hard to take a lead, succeeding by the end of the 1st quarter, taking a 2 goal lead with a score of 15-13 to go into the 2nd quarter.

Comets return to the game determined as Omega start the play.   They set up a zone-defence down court and Omega struggle to break through it.   As soon as we win over the ball from  our opposition, it is short-lived as we lack the drive and movement to take the ball down court.  Omega score 10 goals this quarter, whereas Comets manage at further 50%, allowing them to claw back the lead.  The final few seconds and Omega take note of the time as Comets error on their centre pass and Omega succeed in taking the ball down court to Hannah, who is contacted by Comet’s GK on the whistle. The pressure is on for Hannah, but her accuracy pays off as she ends the 1st half with a goal.  However, Comets have stolen this quarter, increasing their lead by half time, with a score of 28-25.

GK, Andrea Kinninmonth and GD, Claire Statham swap positions this quarter, in an attempt to change dynamics in the defence circle,  but Comets find their shooters with great feeds from the circle as the shooters hold for a near-post ball and punish Omega at every opportunity.   Comets steal many a ball as once again, they apply pressure mid-court with their zone-defence tactic and as per quarter 2, any turnover Omega achieve, is handed straight back to Comets.   Comets extend their lead throughout the quarter scoring double the goals of Omega, as we struggle to take the ball to goal and our heads drop.  The score going into the final quarter is 46-34 to AFN Comets.

A final stab at changing the game dynamics, sees majority of the team changing positions, with Hannah moving to GK, Sophie moving to GS, Ruby Brett moving from WD to GA, Molly from C to WD and Claire taking the C position.   A radical change, but with 12 goals to make up, it’s worth a go.  Unfortunately, the changes are not enough to take hold and Comets extend the lead further.

A good effort from Omega, but Comets prove too strong an opposition on the day.   The final score of the game being 59-39 to AFN Comets.

Today, Omega 2 meet Watford Premier in Herts League, division 1.  Both teams were promoted from division 2 last season and so far, Watford Prem have yet to loose a game, sitting top of the table, whereas Omega are sitting sixth.   A key game for Omega, with our usual GA, Sophie Humphry flying off on holiday today, the team know it’s likely to be a struggle.

Watford start the game and Nicola steals the ball, allowing Omega to take the first goal.   Our centre pass is next and GA, Ruby Brett and GS, Hannah Brown chase a loose ball , but a fumble on the ball sees it going out of court and possession given to Watford, but C, Nicola Rantell is quick to intercept the ball and a feed to Ruby sees her convert the 2nd goal.  Omega take the opening 3 goals, but Omega allow Watford a goal as a high ball from Nicola to Ruby into the circle goes off the goal line and Watford punish the error.  Solid ball marking by GD, Claire Statham sees her tip the ball, which is picked up by Nicola and steady linking of the ball down court by all players, finding Hannah in GS rewarding the team with the goal.  The opening quarter sees some great circle work from WA, Leanne Mansfield and Nicola, feeding the safe ball into the shooters.  Watford equalise by mid quarter with a score of 8-8 and both teams are up for the win.  Omega take a slight lead once more,  but an error with a centre pass not received allows Watford to equalise once more.   A replay of the ball by Nicola around our circle edge, gives Watford  possession but their C is called for contact and Omega punish.  A clean steal from WD, Molly Brett and another attempt for goal for Omega, but we fail to keep possession, but Watford’s WA contacts Molly mid-court and with 13 seconds remaining on the clock, Molly feeds a superb ball straight in to  Hannah who secures the final goal of the quarter giving Omega a 1 goal advantage to go into the 2nd quarter 14-13.

Omega start the 2nd quarter, but the Watford WD intercepts the ball to take ownership, which is short lived as Molly steals the ball straight back for the goal.  Omega take an early lead of 3 goals with a score of 18-15 just over 3 minutes into the quarter.  This quarter sees some solid positioning by Hannah in the circle and accurate feeds from the attack, but Watford fight back and the lead swaps over.  Watford’s WA footworks giving Omega a chance to claw back a goal, but the ball is lost as we try to feed our shooters, however great reading of the game by Nicola sees her winback the ball and the 2nd opportunity is grasped by Omega.  A further error by the opposition sees Watford’s GS ball handle and once again Omega take the goal.  With a remaining 2.56 on the clock, Omega equalise  and tight defence by Omega sees Watford’s C being pulled for 3 seconds, allowing Omega a chance to take the lead again, but a falter mid court, looses possession of the ball.   The play continues and with the final minute remaining, Claire intercepts the ball in the Watford shooting circle and this time, Omega take the lead on the goal.  Omega’s centre pass and with a bit of tooing and froing, Omega manage to hold on enough to take another goal, leaving 7 seconds for the Watford centre pass.  Watford centre takes her time getting back to the circle and steps in as the whistle is blown and Omega are expecting a delayed play call to start the second half of the game.

Surprisingly, Watford are not penalised for delayed play and they start the second half, taking the first goal.  Omega fluff the next centre pass, allowing Watford to equalise yet again and with the next centre pass theirs, Watford take the lead.  A contact call by the Watford GS gives possession to Omega, but possession is lost again with a replay call.  Watford take it back to their GS, but she misses the shot and GK, Louise Cousins takes the rebound, the team steady the play down court and Hannah rewards with the goal.   A mishap with confusion over player movement at centre pass, sees Watford intercept and score the goal.  This allows them to step up the lead to 3 goals…a repeating toing and froing of the lead.  Watford’s GK picks up a caution for persistent contact and Omega’s passing become frantic this quarter.  Watford’s WA contacts on their centre pass as the score is once again equal at 36-36 giving the lead right back to Omega as they score 2 consecutive goals, but it’s short lived as Watford claw back to equalise.  Watford’s GD calls time for injury and a substitution is made.  As the play restarts, Nicola reads the game and steals the ball and Omega capitalise.  More footwork errors by both sides see the ball possession changing and in the final seconds,  Watford make an attempt at finding their shooter for goal, but lob the ball off the goal line as the whistle is blown.

The score going into the final quarter is 42-39 to Omega and neither team are ready to concede the game.  Watford have the advantage of starting the quarter and take the first goal as both Omega defence are pulled for obstruction.   Tight defence forces Watford to throw the ball off the sideline and Omega steal a goal.  Watford close the lead to 2 goals and Omega loose their centre pass, which is not received mid court, allowing Watford to close the lead by a further goal before equalising on their next centre pass.   Omega loose their heads for the next minute or two and Watford take advantage,  increasing the lead to 3 goals, but a held ball by Watford WA and Omega take the opportunity to secure a goal.   Omega fluff another centre pass but tighten up their defence down-court, forcing errors on Watford allowing them to claw back a couple of goals with a score of 51-50 to Watford.  A held ball by Watford’s C and Omega have the opportunity to equalise but they loose the ball mid court with poor passing.   We somehow claw back the equaliser and with 45 seconds remaining in the game, Omega have a 1-goal lead.   They hold on to the lead, ending the game 56-55 to Omega.

A game that could have gone either way with a constant battle for the lead.  A tense and exciting game to watch, ending with a well deserved win for Omega 2, never tiring and fighting to the bitter end.   Fantastic result, beating the top of the table, who had not conceded a game this season, until today!  A big thank you to Claire Daw and Andrea Kinninmonth for coming over as reserves and to Charlotte Jordan for stepping up last minute to score for the team.