Omega Netball Club News

Omega 1 travelled to South Benfleet to face Eastwood in the return match in Division 1 of the East Region League.  Travelling with a core 7 players and reliable sub, Andrea Kinninmonth for the bench, the game is expected to be a tough one, as Omega lost to Eastwood in the 1st round.

A nervous Omega start the game and are quick to secure the first goal, but Eastwood respond in the same manner.  Omega then loose possession of the ball on their next centre pass, as the ball is fed into the shooting circle and Eastwood see their first opportunity to take the lead, but miss the shot and Omega’s second chance is rewarded by GA, Natalie Faal.    GD, Claire Daw picks up a loose ball and it’s Omega’s chance for a lead, but as the feed to double-marked GS, Charlotte Jordan is intercepted, the tables are turned.  Eastwood miss the shot again and once more, Omega secure their 2nd chance at the goal. Eastwoods WA is called for footwork and Omega try once more for a lead but the shot is missed.  Eastwood falter mid-court under the pressure applied by Omega’s mid-court players, Sophie Cockrill, Lucy Hoskin and Hannah Sell and the ball is thrown off the side-line, giving Omega another chance which they grasp.  With 1 min 17 secs remaining, Eastwood are called for a held ball on a goal-line pass in Omega’s shooting circle, but Omega fail to convert the shot and Eastwood secure the goal with seconds remaining in the quarter.  The final centre pass of the quarter is Eastwoods, but they only have time for the first ball, before the whistle is blown to end the quarter 10 – 9 to Omega.

Omega have the advantage of starting the second quarter and once again are quick to take the first goal, but Eastwood are not phased and take the next 2 goals to equalise the score 11-11.  Strong defending by Omega forces a held ball call against Eastwood for a goal line throw in and GA, Natalie Faal once again rewards Omega’s play with the goal.  Omega get on a roll, defending well, resulting in defence players Claire Daw and Phoebe Gillen intercepting  the feeds and gaining several rebounds.  This coupled with the team controlling their passing well down court, allowed them 6 straight goals to begin their lead in the game.  The rest of the quarter goes goal for goal until the final centre pass which is Eastwoods.  Lucy Hoskin intercepts the ball mid-court and the team take the ball to Charlotte to shoot.  The first attempt is missed as the defender contacts her just before the whistle, but she secures the second attempt to take the final goal of the first half of the game, leaving the score at 27 – 18 by half time.

Eastwood have a change of shooters for the 2nd half and their first attempt at goal takes 3 attempts before the shot is converted.  WD, Hannah Sell shows great vision and seizes the opportunity to feed GS, Charlotte Jordan from the mid court superbly, who rewards her with the goal.  Defenders Phoebe Gillen and Claire Daw are on fire this quarter, intercepting 7 feeds between them and gaining rebounds.   Additionally, WD, Hannah Sell finds GS, Charlotte Jordan with ease on a couple more occasions, again feeding her with great accuracy from the mid court.   Eastwood’s GK picks up a caution for persistent obstruction, but this hasn’t phased the Omega shooters who secure 17 goals as a result of the pressure applied by the rest of the team and the turnarounds gained.   A great quarter for the team and the lead is increased to 17 goals, with a score of 44-27 going into the final quarter.

Going into the final quarter, Omega are told to remain controlled and disciplined with their play.  GK, Phoebe is hot of the mark as she manages to steal the ball as Eastwood try to feed the first ball into their shooter, but a missed shot by Omega sees the ball returning to the Eastwood shooters and they secure the goal on the second chance.  Omega force the opposition to error on a couple of occasions early in the quarter and take advantage of the turnaround.   However, Eastwood do not give up and fight hard to close the gap in the score, but the play from Omega is too strong to break down.  A low scoring first quarter soon changed for the rest of the game and Omega take the well-deserved win with a fantastic score of 59-40.

This result has moved Omega up the division table to 3rd place.  A great achievement for the team, this being their first season in division 1.   P.O.M. goes to WA, Sophie Cockrill.

Omega 1 meet Turnford in the East Region, Division 1 re-arranged game at Leventhorpe and with a couple of the usual squad unavailable due to it being half term, the squad welcome back Emma Maidment and Lucy Andrews from pregnancy, for their debut appearance in the league this season.

The team are aware that this will be no walk-over and the apprehension is felt as the game begins, with Turnford starting the game.  Omega loose the ball at their first centre pass and Turnford are quick to take advantage and secure the first 3 goals of the game.  A great interception from GK, Phoebe Gillen gives Omega the opportunity to close the early lead, but this is short lived as her pass is turned over by the opposition and they take it to goal.  Omega loose yet another centre pass allowing Turnford another 3 straight goals as they increase the score to 7-2, but Omega’s Phoebe Gillen steals another ball and this time is rewarded with the goal and it’s Omega’s turn to take 3 straight goals to close the lead.  Turnford’s WA breaks at their centre pass and this proves costly for them as Omega punishes with the goal.  Turnford’s GK intercepts a feed from WA, Lucy Andrews into GS, Charlotte Jordan, but she footworks and looses the chance for her team as Charlotte converts the goal. Some goal for goal play is seen in the closing minutes of the quarter, but Omega error on a couple more occasions, resulting in the score at the end of the opening quarter being 19-12 to Turnford as they score the final goal just before the closing whistle.

Omega start the second quarter and thanks to a great interception yet again by Phoebe, they take the first 2 goals of the quarter.  Omega show determination throughout the first half of this quarter, resulting in 6 turnarounds by Phoebe, who is on fire.  Omega secure 5 straight goals mid quarter, which allows them to close the lead to just 1 goal, but poor passing, lack of drive onto the pass and footwork calls by Omega, allow the lead to open back up  again in the final minutes as Turnford take the next 5 straight goals.  A break at centre pass sees the ball once again with Turnford, but a missed shot allows Phoebe to gain the rebound and the team ensure the safe play as they manoeuvre the ball down court for Charlotte to convert the shot.  Half time sees Omega winning the quarter by just one goal, but the score at 29-25 to Turnford.

Team chats at half time are once again on maintaining control and possession of the ball, ensuring safe ball play to goal.    WD, Claire Daws is hot off the start, stealing the first centre pass ball from Turnford, giving her team the chance of the first goal, which our shooters oblige.  Turnford’s GK, defends Charlotte’s  next shot well and times her jump to perfection, allowing her to steal the ball mid-air, but her team fail to reward with the goal as Omega gain possession once more and GA, Emma Maidment secures the goal for Omega.   Phoebe reads the game well and intercepts a pass from the Turnford WD, who attempts to feed her shooter from the centre third transverse line, but as Phoebe passes the ball up-court, a footwork call sees the ball back in Turnford’s possession and the goal is theirs.    The Turnford GD is called a couple of times in the next few minutes, both times for footwork and both times proving costly for her team as Omega take advantage of the error and punish with securing the goals.  As the score is equalised at 35-35, Omega gain the chance to take the lead as Turnford error and the ball is thrown off the goal-line.  The opportunity is taken and Omega manage to gain the lead for the first time in the game, but it is short lived as the next 4 goals are Turnfords, however Omega win the quarter once more, leaving the score going into the final quarter at 40-39 to Turnford.

Both teams know that this game is going to the wire and once again Omega are reminded to maintain control in their play and ensure they play the ball safe.  The turning point in the quarter comes early as Turnford’s GA is called for contact at the top of their shooting circle and Omega punish them with the goal and begin to take the lead, which they hold on to and increase throughout the quarter.  This quarter sees the best play of the game from Omega, with superb discipline on show, showing that they have really listened and taken on board the advise from their coaches in the mid-quarter chats.  They control their play, meet the pass and ensure the safe ball to find their shooters , who look like they’ve never been apart as they inter-pass and reward the team with their accurate shooting.  Fantastic play by the whole team, with great linking up-court by WA, Lucy Andrews and C, Lucy Hoskin, supported down-court by defence players Claire Daw and Leigh Rees-Reynolds, enabled the team to maintain control, which Turnford could not unrail, resulting in a well deserved win with a final score of 58-52 to Omega.

A great game to watch, ending with a fantastic result, which should secure Omega’s place in division one for next season.

For the second game of 2019, Omega eagerly travelled 2 hours to Wisbech to take on Rookies. We had played against Rookies last season and narrowly beat them in the autumn so we knew they were going to come back fighting. The quarter started steady as Omega were finding their feet.  With Emma Faulkner stepping up in GA from the second team, we had to make some adjustments to our game. The first quarter was fairly neck and neck with both Omega and Rookies making mistakes with passing ending the first quarter 14 – 13 to Rookies.

Second quarter, saw Omega come on the court with determination to dig deeper and settle. Rookies shooters were very accurate so the defence worked hard on tight marking and saw Rookies crumble under pressure with 2 passes ending up off the goal-line allowing Omega to make it down the court and rewarded with a goal. Mid court were also defending hard with several tips which were then worked down the court, at times a bit frantic leading to some errors by Omega with some scrappy passing. Defence fought on though with some excellent steals by Phoebe Gillen at GK using two hands to steal the ball time. Shooting was on form by both Emma Faulkner and Charlotte Jordan, seeing the team walk off at half time with a score of 28 – 21 to Omega.

Rookies weren’t ready to give up and came back on fighting. Charlotte at GS, was having to work hard with both Rookies defence marking her but Emma at GA, utilised herself well to work the ball into the Circle with some quick last minute off loads to Charlotte. Our defence were manning on and communicating well as the ball travelled down the court. With several interceptions from the defence and mid court saw Omega go to goal with 6 goals in a row thanks to our shooters only missing one shot all quarter! Passing down the court was better with accurate passing and more movement along with the option of looking back and resetting to go forward, Omega were flying 46 – 28.

The last quarter saw Natalie Faal step in at GA with Charlotte GS. Defence were still hot on Rookies tails with Phoebe gaining the first interception on Rookies centre pass , which the team took to the shooters and Charlotte secured the goal for the team. Omega’s morale was very high and their game was more relaxed with great mid court movement and quick passing which saw them take the win 60 – 43. Well deserved POM to GK Phoebe Gillen!

Also BIG congratulations to our GA Natalie Faal on gaining her level B umpiring award in Ipswich before the match!

After playing Norfolk ER2 last season, Omega knew this wasn’t going to be an easy game. They knew if they wanted to take the win they were going to need to fight for it and that’s exactly what they did.

Omega have the first centre pass and a bad ball causes Norfolk to turn this centre pass over. However, Omega’s defence is too tight for Norfolk they get pulled up for a held ball resulting in Omega being the first on the scoreboard. Norfolk’s WD breaks on their centre pass and Omega score again. Omega’s WA, takes a potential contact from Norfolk which was not called leading Norfolk to goal and getting on the scoreboard. A few bad passes were given by Omega causing a few thrown off the back line and forced errors resulting in Norfolk picking up the goals. The final score at the end of the first quarter saw Omega taking the lead 13-11.

Omega knew what they needed to do 2nd quarter and tidying up their passing was definitely one of them. Omega are not off to a great start as GD is given a caution for persistent obstruction. Norfolk are under pressure and are making errors, a ball thrown off the back line results in another goal for Omega. Norfolk’s WD is now handed a caution for persistent contact. Norfolk have picked their game up and Omega are making silly mistakes. 40 seconds remaining and Omega are rushing the ball into the circle unnecessarily causing the ball to be tipped off the back line = no goal. A poor quarter from Omega and Norfolk now lead 26-25.

Moving into the 2nd half and Omega are yet again off to a bad start, WA failing to catch the ball from GS and ball goes off the sideline. However, Norfolk have now missed the shot and Omega have picked up the rebound and taken the ball to goal. Norfolk GD has now picked up a caution also. Omega’s defence are gaining several interceptions by applying pressure down their end which brings us back to an equal score. 37-37 and Omega miss their shot. Mistakes are made from both sides and the ball is up and down the court with no goal being scored. Norfolk have now taken a 2 goal lead resulting the end of the 3rd quarter being 39-37.

The 4th and final quarter, both teams with so much determination. Norfolk are making mistakes, forced balls are thrown into the shooters and Omega managed to equalise 41-41. A few bad passes are also given by Omega and a centre pass is not received resulting in Norfolk taking to goal. Norfolk then break their own centre pass and Omega managed to take the ball down the court resulting in another goal. Both teams are working hard and fighting, a few mistakes were made by Norfolk and eventually Omega took the win 49-47.

Thank you Norfolk for a great game and we look forward to coming to you in 2019. All the best for the rest of the season.

Omega 1 travel to Bedfordshire for an away game against MK Netters Gold with four of their reqular squad missing.  The team have had to steal both 2nd team shooters for the game, leaving the 2nd team depleted for their fixture and a very different attack for their game.  The team are mindful that this is going to be a tough game.

Omega win the toss for the centre pass and start the game, but receive a held ball call on the opening of the quarter and MK Netters are quick to punish, taking the first goal.  MK error on their centre pass, which sees the ball going off the goal line and Omega have the opportunity to take back a goal.   The ball is taken to the shooting circle, but passing out from the shooters to the attack on the circle edge sees the ball going off the side-line and the ball back in MK’s possession.  Omega are not put off by the bad start and fight back to take the next 3 goals.   Both teams error in this opening quarter, but Omega’s defense, GK, Claire Daw, GD Leigh Rees-Reynolds and WD, Hannah Sell are hot and apply the pressure winning interceptions and rebounds from their opposition 7 times and a further twice by the mid-court players, C Megan Pryde and WA Natalie Faal, who pick up a loose ball each.  The interceptions are often short lived, with Omega once again loosing ball ownership down-court, but their determination and accurate shooting by both GS Hannah Brown and GA Sophie Humphrey pays off by close of quarter as they create an early lead of 14-9.

The team are happy with their opening quarter and are set to play in the same vein going forward, but are told to play the safe ball.   The 1st centre pass is Omega’s but a held ball call for the 2nd ball is called and MK punish the error.  MK are by no means ready to concede the game and a battle for goal continues with the early minutes going goal for goal.  Omega’s GD, Leigh defends hard and wins several interceptions this quarter, but each time they are short lived as the ball is lost through poor passing and players not being free to receive a pass so her hard work is lost down court.  MK get on a roll and take 6 goals in a row, but their shooters take 10 attempts at one goal, each time picking up the rebound as their GS has the height advantage.   Omega get back into the game, taking the next 3 goals and the final few minutes go goal for goal.  MK Netters win the quarter 14-11, but Omega hold on to a 2 goal lead with a score going into the second half of 25-23.

A slight tweak mid-court sees Hannah Sell picking up the C position and birthday girl, Megan Pryde moving into WD.   MK start the quarter again and an immediate steal by GK Claire Daw on a feed to the shooters, gives Omega the opportunity to take the goal, but once more, the ball is lost mid-court and MK take it to goal.  The defence are on fire again this quarter, applying the pressure and forcing balls off the goal line, but Omega struggle to hold on to the ball and put it in the net.  MK’s GA is called for footwork at a score of 30-29 to Omega and Omega have the chance to open the lead again, but once again, they fail to keep possession.  A held ball call on Omega’s 2nd ball on their centre pass allows MK Netters the opportunity to level the score 31-31.  The remaining minutes go goal for goal and with a score of 35-34,  Omega miss the shot and MK have a further opportunity to equalise to go into the final quarter, but they also miss the shot, allowing GK, Claire to rebound for a closing goal and a 2 goal lead, but time runs out as they swiftly take the ball to the shooting circle, but the whistle blows before the chance at a shot.

Just one goal in it going into the final quarter  with a score of 35-34 to Omega and Hannah and Megan reverse roles once more.    The 1st centre pass is once again MK’s and their C is called for held ball.  Omega try to force feed our shooters and loose the opportunity gained and MK punish the error.  The quarter goes goal for goal in the opening minutes, but MK manage to nudge into a 1-goal lead.   Omega equalise 41-41 and the next centre pass is theirs, but the ball is lost in the circle and MK punish once more.   Omega manage to equalise again at 42-42 and again have the opportunity on their next centre pass to take the lead, but MK intercept a pass and take the goal…a deja vu moment!  Almost every player in the team error this quarter and very few turnovers are made, allowing MK to take hold.   An extremely tight quarter and a battle to the end.  Omega have several opportunities to take the lead this quarter, but mis-timed jumps on receipt of the pass, failure to loose the marker and unforced errors costs them the game.  A fantastic fought game from both teams and a final score of 46-43 to MK Netters, who steal the game in the final minutes.

A big thank you to Hannah Brown and Sophie Humphrey for travelling to Bedfordshire to fill in for the team and also to Megan Pryde, playing with a hangover on her 21st!  Player of the match goes to Leigh Rees-Reynolds.  Well done all!

Omega faced their second away game of the season against local rivals Tegate. For the first time this season we had a full squad of 9 to choose from, therefore lots of combinations and options were available. Starting 7 was GK: Phoebe, GD: Claire, WD: Hannah, C: Megan, WA: Sophie, GA: Natalie, GS: Charlotte, with Leigh and Lucy heading up the subs bench.

Before the game started we spoke about starting the first quarter strong, blowing away our opponents from the beginning. This was a major part of our success from last season and we wanted to continue with that. Tegate had the first centre and they took it straight to goal, which was then followed by Omega scoring making it 1-1. Omega go on a slight run with Megan intercepting the ball and Omega passing it down to Charlotte who scores, making it 3-1. The defence picks off many intercepts but Omegas shooters fail to convert on every occasion, however we end the quarter 14-9. A great first quarter for Omega, doing exactly what we said before we stepped onto court.

The second quarter saw Leigh take the GD bib and Lucy taking the C bib. Claire and Megan take the bench to have a rest and watch the game. Tegate again start this quarter with a fast feed from their GA to GS to secure the next goal. A missed shot by Natalie then sees Tegate take the next goal, however Omega then turn over Tegates next centre pass and score. Lots of missed passes this quarter but Hannah wins the ball back in the centre third, however Charlotte fails to convert. Tegates WD breaks on their centre pass and Charlotte converts after gaining her own rebound. Tight marking from the defence sees Phoebe collect a missed shot from Tegates GS and Omega convert. Leigh tips the ball on Tegates centre pass and a chase for the ball sees it in Omegas hands and we score. Again Leigh intercepts the ball however is unbalanced and passes it straight to Tegates WA but Omega manages to win it back. Last few seconds remain but Charlotte footwork’s in the circle (due to a nudge by the defence however this was not seen) but Hannah intercepts the ball just as the whistle it called. This quarter ends 29 – 18 to Omega.

Heading into quarter three with an 11 goal difference we made some more changes. Claire taking the WD bib and Megan back on at WA. Hannah and Sophie take the subs bench for a well earnt rest. We were asked to perform with the same intensity as we knew Tegate weren’t going to give up easily. Tegate starts the quarter again but tight defence around the circle edge sees Tegates WA get called for held ball, but the ball is then won back by Tegate and they score. Tegates GA attempts an “off the post” back line but misses the post and Phoebe picks up the loose ball but we again fail to keep possession. Tegates WA picks up a caution in this quarter and a good feed in from Lucy to Natalie sees Natalie slot away the goal. This quarter ends 44-34 to Omega.

Going into the last 15 minutes we knew it was going to be tight as a 10 goal lead in netball can quickly be turned around. Claire takes the GK bib, Hannah comes back on at WD, Megan takes the C bib and Sophie comes back on at WA. This sees Phoebe and Lucy take the bench. Omega start this quarter and had to really control the ball as Tegate put on a zonal mark, but superb control and discipline see Omega secure the goal. Tegates defence  intercepts the ball however footwork is called and a great feed from Megan into Charlotte sees us add another goal to our tally. A few errors from both sides sees the ball go back and forward however on the final whistle Omega take all 5 points, denying their opponents an extra point for getting within 5. Final score 56-47.

Another great display from the whole squad this weekend. As a newly formed and promoted team into division 1 to get 3 wins out of our first 4 is a fantastic achievement for the club. We hope this fine form continues. Massive thanks yet again to our wonderful supporters who are there week in week out cheering us on and pushing us over the finishing line. Our next game is a home game against Eastwood on 18 November.

The game got off to a rocky start. Omega had the first centre pass, but get a held ball at the circle. Omega win the ball back again to score. Rookies take their centre pass, an interception by C, Lucy Hoskin, see Omega take the ball down court with some great links by all. A miss by GA, Natalie Faal, means Rookies take the ball to score. Tight marking by Omega’s defence forces Rookies to throw the ball of the sideline. Omega Equalise 2-2. GS, Charlotte Jordan, misses the next shot and Rookies score from it. Omega then lose their centre pass as Rookies WD makes an interception, and they score. GD, Leigh Rees-Reynolds, tips a feed into the circle by Rookies and GK, Phoebe Gillen, picks it up but the ball is lost again at Omega’s circle edge. Rookies then miss a shot; Phoebe picks up the rebound. The ball is lost again on a pass between Charlotte and Lucy across the circle. Rookies try to get the ball back the their GS, but Phoebe makes another interception. The ball makes it to Omega’s circle edge, but a feed in is fumbled. Rookies take the free pass and end that little back and forth tennis match with a goal. WD, Hannah Sell, picks up a loose ball but it is thrown away by Omega meaning Rookies score another goal. Tight marking by Omega on the next centre pass, and Rookies throw the ball off court. Omega use this and score. In the last 25 seconds Rookies take a centre pass, but Omega can’t stop another goal. Omega are down 10-12 at the end of the first quarter.

Omega starts the 2nd quarter. A throw from GS, Charlotte Jordan goes straight into the hands of the Rookies WD. Fortunately the WD goes offside and Omega get the ball back, but it is immediately intercepted by the Rookies GD. Rookies GS misses. GD, Leigh Rees-Reynolds, gets the rebound, a lob into the circle by WA, Megan Pryde, is intercepted and Rookies score again. A pass from Omega’s C, Sophie Cockrill, is tipped, but Megan picks up the loose ball, the ball is lost again and Rookies score again. Rookies make an error trying to get the ball into the circle and it goes off the backline. Omega uses this opportunity to take a goal. Omega makes an interception in defence, but go on to make the same error as Rookies and a feed into the circle goes off the backline and Rookies go on to score. Megan goes offside feeding into the circle and Rookies get another chance to score, they miss and GK, Phoebe Gillen, gets the rebound. Footwork by Charlotte sees the ball coming back to Rookies circle, but Leigh intercept a feed into the shooters, GA, Natalie Faal misses a shot and Rookies end up taking the goal. Rookies lose the opportunity to score when their GS uses the post to stop her falling off court, and Omega score. A great feed from Natalie in mid court to Charlotte in the circle means Omega scores another goal. Two good feeds from Megan to Charlotte gain Omega another two goals. A Rookies error on the goal line and a shot from Natalie scores Omega another but goal, but its not enough and Omega are still down 23-27 at half time.

Rookies start the 3^rd quarter and score. Omega lose the ball as GS, Charlotte Jordan back passes and WD, Sophie Cockrill, contacts. But Omega wins back the ball to score. GK, Phoebe Gillen, intercepts a feed in to the shooters but it is wasted as the ball goes off our goal line. WA, Megan Pryde intercepts mid court but again it is lost at the circle edge. GD, Leigh Rees-Reynolds, gets pulled for contact, but Omega still goes on to score. Sophie picks up a caution for persistent contact. Phoebe gets a rebound but the ball is lost mid court with a pass by C, Lucy Hoskin. Lucy then picks up a caution for persistent contact. Phoebe intercepts the ball with 5 minutes to go and Omega equalise 33-33. Rookies WA receives a caution for persistent contact. Rookies intercept a back pass from GA, Natalie Faal and they score. A bad pass and an intercepted centre pass see Rookies take 2 more goals. Omega are still down at the end of the quarter 35-37.

Omega starts the final quarter well. GS, Charlotte Jordan, scores a goal with a throw off the post from the back line. GK, Phoebe Gillen makes an interception and Omega score again. 4 minutes in an omega have equalised 40-40. Omega takes the next centre pass but Charlotte misses for the lead. GD, Leigh Rees-Reynolds gets a rebound. Rookies GD gets a caution for persistent contact and Omega score. WD, Sophie Cockrill picks up a wild pass and Omega score again. Rookies GK is given a warning. GA, Natalie Faal misses a shot and Rookies take the ball to score. Leigh is then given a caution for persistent contact. With 4 minutes to go Omega take a 1 goal lead. Rookies GS goes off court with a bad pass and Omega take advantage of this. A bad pass is stolen back by Sophie and taken to goal. After being behind for the whole match Omega come away with a 52-49 win and some very relieved spectators.

The second game of the season saw our first team host the well established Hatfield NC at home. With the full squad unavailable, support was given from Nicola Rantell, Charlotte Ramejkis and Molly Brett. A nervous squad to start, but determined as ever to fight for a result.

The first quarter saw a new squad enter the court. The first centre pass taken by Hatfield saw an unforced error, with Omega responding to this and taking to goal. Unfortunately a miss saw Hatfield’s fierce defence take the rebound, and convert the goal. A returned unforced error of ball dropping on Omega’s account saw Hatfield steal the pass, but an interception by WD, Hannah Sell, with a pass into Charlotte Jordan, GS, and working with attack help them to convert the goal.

Hatfield attack again, and tight defence was demonstrated by Omega’s GK, Leigh Rees-Reynolds and GD, Claire Daw, with a tip by Leigh. Constant pressure by defence causes multiple shot attempts, with an eventual goal for Hatfield. Defensive attack play by Hatfield pressures interceptions made by Leigh, but finally converted to goal by Omega. End of quarter sees Omega leading 11-8.

2nd quarter and no squad changes from Omega. This quarter sees 3 clean interceptions from Leigh (GK) and Claire Daw (GD), giving the support to the Omega attack. Hatfield’s defence again pressure the Omega shooters throughout, with their GK forcing Omega’s errors. A bounce pass from GA to GS sees Omega lose possession and Hatfield convert to goal. Some unforced errors on Omega’s part with reverse possession, and hesitation at goal give Hatfield an opening to goal. Defence stay strong to pressure down court. Great defensive tip from Nicola Rantell, C, in Hatfield’s attacking third adds the pressure and is taken towards Omega’s attack. 2 seconds to go and Omega C passes into shooters and goal is scored. Omega keeps showing fight until the whistle with a final quarter score of 24-20.

3rd quarter and Hatfield come on fighting, with volume from their bench heightening. Hatfield take first centre with the goal pressured by Claire, and rebound won by Leigh. Ball is taken down court but unfortunately lost. Similar defence sees Omega take to the shooters via Sophie Cockrill, WA, to convert goal. With pressures rising, Leigh picks up caution in defensive circle. Unforced errors on both accounts sees play reverse the court with eventual conversion by Hatfield. Omega C picks up caution for deliberate obstruction. A forced pass into double marked Charlotte Jordan, GS, is luckily taken off court by GD and Omega take back line. Hatfield react to the spectator support and take the quarters lead, 33-32.

After a team talk and squad changes; Megan Pryde taking WD and Hannah Sell playing WA, Omega return to court full of fight. Constant support from spectators gives Omega the boost needed. Omega start the quarter with equalising goal by Charlotte. Unfortunately opportunity to take the lead is lost, but regained with interception from Leigh, followed by long pass from Hannah directly to Charlotte and converted to goal. Omega continue to apply pressure throughout the court, although Hatfield defence continue to apply pressure and Omega miss a shot. ‘Dummy passes’ see Omega’s attacking feed improve to Natalie and Charlotte. Leigh and Megan continue to support up the court allowing possessive play and control into Omega circle. Omega attack tightly defend back line pass, forcing over third pass. Leigh takes another interception taken to goal with final few seconds remaining. Forced pass from Omega’s shooters sees Hatfield take possession and the final goal. Final score: 44-39.

A great performance from both squads, and a greatly contested game in good spirit. Continual support from both teams spectators saw the energetic game from both squads. Omega’s defence of Leigh Rees-Reynolds and Claire Daw supports the squad throughout to take the win. POM goes to Charlotte Jordan (Omega) and Sophie Welsh (Hatfield).

The first Division 1 game ever in the East Region League for Omega and we meet local team Turnford who finished runners up in the league at the end of last season.  Omega were nervous for their first game after gaining the promotion last season.  A newly formed team, with Emma Maidment and Lucy Andrews both out, imminently expecting their 2nd child each and some of the new squad not available.

Turnford start the game and a great steal from Omega’s WA, Sophie Cockrill mid-court sees Omega taking the first goal…an unexpected start to the game which gives Omega an early boost.  Turnford loose a centre pass, but Omega fail to maintain possession as the Turnford GD reads the game well and intercepts the ball before it reaches our shooters.  Omega’s GK,  Phoebe Gillen returns the favour as she is next to steal the ball as Turnford attempt to pass at the shooting circle edge and Omega take the ball down court but loose it again on a feed to our GS.   GA, Natalie Faal intercepts a Turnford Centre pass and takes it to her circle partner, GS, Charlotte Jordan, who converts the goal.  Another intercept by Phoebe is quickly lost with a replay of the ball mid-court.  Omega fight goal for goal and at an equal 5-5 score, the Turnford WA footworks to give Omega an opportunity to take the lead, but this is short-lived as WA, Sophie Cockrill is called for a held ball as the shooters are hidden behind their players.    Tight Omega defence sees Turnford struggle to feed their shooters in the same vein and another held ball call allows Omega the opportunity to take to goal but once again the Turnford GD reads it well and intercepts.     Phoebe steals yet another ball from the Turnford shooters, but as soon as it’s taken, it’s given straight back.  In the final 30 seconds of the quarter, Turnford C goes offside in their shooting circle and Omega take to goal, followed by the final Omega centre pass, which we loose as Charlotte contacts the Turnford defence under the post, leaving the score 11-8 in Turnford’s favour.

Turnford make some errors at the start of the second quarter and Omega succeed in converting the goals to punish their opposition, allowing them to equalise.  However some poor passing in our attacking third takes away the chance of taking the lead, giving possession to Turnford who capitalise on the errors and are the ones to take a 2 goal lead. Turnford’s GS is called for contact on a couple of occasions this quarter and Omega take advantage of one occasion, but miss the shot on the second occasion and Turnford take the rebound and take the ball to goal.   A dropped ball in the Omega shooting circle sees the ball swiftly finding the Turnford attacking circle, but they miss the shot and GD, Claire Daw claims the rebound.  Possession is brief as Turnford intercept, but ownership for them is also short-lived as Phoebe once again wins possession.  Omega take it to their shooting circle once more, but again loose it and Turnford take the goal.   A better second quarter for Omega as they win the quarter 14-12, leaving the score at 22-23 to Turnford going into the second half.

The final centre pass of the 2nd quarter is a deja-vue experience from the earlier Omega 2 vs Watford game, where the opposition are slow at returning to the centre circle for the final centre pass as the final few seconds remain on the clock and once again, Omega are expecting a ‘delayed play’ call, but once again, it is not given and Turnford start the 3rd quarter.   A held ball call against Turnfords GA gives possession to Omega, but the shot is missed and Turnford take ownership and score the goal.  GD, Claire Daws intercepts for Omega, giving back opportunity for goals for her team.  Turnford centre pass is lost as Omega apply pressure and the ball goes off the side line.  Omega take advantage of possession, taking the ball to their shooting circle but a pass between their GA and GS manages to end up out of court, crossing the goal line.    More strong defence applied by Omega sees Turnford throw the ball off their goal line and Omega succeed in stealing a goal and taking a 2 goal lead 5 minutes into the quarter, but Omega loose a centre pass, allowing Turnford to equalise and take the lead again.    Omega’s WA picks up a caution for persistent offside this quarter and Turnford increase their lead to 5 goals by the end of the quarter.

Omega start the final quarter, but fail to keep possession, however Turnford loose the ball with an over third pass.   A good minute and a half into the final quarter and the first goal is scored by Omega, thanks to an interception won by Claire Daws.    A clean steal of the ball by WD, Molly Brett gives Omega another opportunity and GA, Nat Faal rewards with a goal.    A loose ball is chased by Nat, which she passes back to Claire Daw at the traverse line, but with two Turnford players on her, Turnford steal the ball and the goal.   Turnford maintain a 4 goal lead with under 7 minutes of the game remaining.  Omega make many minor errors at this point, which prove costly and allow Turnford to increase the lead.   The game ends with a final score of 41-49 to Turnford.

A great first game for a newly formed Omega team in their first ever Division one game in the East Region League, particularly against an established opposition.   The team gave their opposition a great game, fighting for the game throughout and keeping it close right up to the final quarter, so a game and result they can be proud of.  A big thanks to Molly Brett and Nicola Rantell who had already played the earlier Herts County League game and also to Charlotte Ramejkis for coming along as reserve.

The final East Region game is a re-arranged game from the days of the snow on 3rd March, with a fixture against Bedfordshire based team, Cranfield.  The team have a bare seven players, resulting in Sophie Cockrill taking the C position and Hannah Sell replacing her at WA.  Second team’s Molly Brett steps up to support the team as a bench player to ease the pressure and the team are also aware that they only need a single point from the game to take the top table spot.

Cranfield start the game but immediately loose possession as their first pass of the ball traverses the side line. Omega start the game well in the opening minutes, punishing Cranfield’s nervous starting minutes by taking the first four goals of the game. But Cranfield soon settle down and begin to control their play, with their GA displaying great accuracy in her shooting, which allows them to maintain a tight grip on Omega through the opening quarter, just one goal behind them deep into the quarter. However, Omega’s GK, Phoebe Gillen contends hard for the ball, taking a couple of superb interceptions in the opposition’s shooting circle.  As is often the case, each interception is short lived as Cranfield quickly regain ball ownership, with the first ball rolling off her fingers and the second being a great back ball to the edge of the circle, but Cranfield being more eager to gain ownership, read the pass well, driving to meet the ball where Omega stood watching.   Her partner in crime, GD, Sam Abbott is as tight with her defending, winning 6 turnovers between them. In the final minutes of the quarter, with a score of 14-12 to Omega, Cranfield’s GA breaks at their centre pass, which proves costly and allows Omega to break a small lead once more, winning the quarter 17-13.

During the interval, the coach gives a strong talk to the team to tighten up their game and think about their passing. This time it’s Omega at the first centre pass, but as was the case with the first quarter, the first centre pass is doomed, with a held ball infringement on Omega giving possession to Cranfield, who are unable to maintain ownership as Omega’s WD, Claire Daw wins back the ball mid court and this time Omega swiftly take to goal. Omega then show a more skilful display of netball and begin to play their usual game, managing to convert the first six goals of the quarter. The rest of the quarter continues in the same vein, resulting in a further 12 goals being scored and limiting the opposition to 9, continuing with tight play from all players which resulted in 9 turnovers in the quarter.  GA, Emma Maidment notices that the last few seconds of the quarter are on the clock as she launches the ball to her shooting partner, GS, Charlotte Jordan, but the Cranfield GK reads this and manages to tip it off court. WA, Hannah Sell takes the side-line throw, but the seconds run out as she is just about to pass, ending the first half of the game 35-22.

Praise is awarded to the team for the much improved display of their skill.   A tactical change to the defence area, sees Claire Daw and Sam Abbott swapping roles and the team are asked to continue the same play for the remainder of the game. This they succeed in doing in the third quarter, again winning the ball on many occasions. Tight defensive play by Phoebe and Claire in the circle, with Claire blocking her player from the post, allowing her to claim the rebound from the missed shot. A break from Cranfield’s WA at their centre pass, awards the ball to Omega again and they don’t fail to impress their great barrage of supporters, converting the shot, increasing the score further for the team.

Going into the final quarter with a score of 52-28, Omega are confident they have the win in sight. Although tiring in her new position, C, Sophie Cockrill continues to give her all as does WA, Hannah Sell, both of whom seem to have settle into the mid field play as they win possession from the opposition consistently every quarter of the game, turning the ball to Omega’s advantage each time. Cranfield’s GD is warned for persistent contact this quarter. With the final 90 seconds of the game, WA, Hannah leaps to cleanly intercept the ball mid court and  Omega take the ball to the circle, where Charlotte tries out England’s Corbyn move, with a back ball around her body, finding shooting partner Emma who rewards the superb team effort with the goal. Cranfield win the final quarter by two goals, but it’s too little, too late as the game ends 62-40 to Omega, who not only take the game, but also the winning top table slot, guaranteeing their promotion for the third consecutive year and a place in Division 1 in the East Region League next season.

A well deserved win to end a superb season for the entire squad, which includes Lucy Andrews, Megan Pryde and Hannah Lok, who all contributed well to the games this season.  Also a big thanks to the 2nd team players, Andrea Kinninmonth, Hannah Brown, Emma Faulkner and Molly Brett,  who have stepped up to help the team out when they’ve been short this season….the team couldn’t have achieved this without your support.

To top the great season, congratulations to Lucy and Tom, who announced that they’re expecting their second little gem….another mascot for the team!