Omega 1 vs Turnford – Saturday 6th October 2018

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East Region, Div 1 game on 6th October 2018

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.

 

 

Regional Squad 2023/24 Season

After last season's squad being demoted from East Region Division 1, this whole new squad is ready to work together to rebuild full strength this season.

 

Herts County League Squad 2023/24

A newly put together Herts County Squad for 2023/24. All strong individual players in their own right, who will use this season to gel as a team, with the aim of maintaining their 1st division spot.

 

Local League Squad - 2022/23

Winners of the HDNL Winter Season in their first season of re-entry, resulting in promotion to division 1 for 2023/24 season!

 

Regional Squad 2023/24 Season

After last season's squad being demoted from East Region Division 1, this whole new squad is ready to work together to rebuild full strength this season.

 

Herts County League Squad 2023/24

A newly put together Herts County Squad for 2023/24. All strong individual players in their own right, who will use this season to gel as a team, with the aim of maintaining their 1st division spot.

 

Local League Squad - 2022/23

Winners of the HDNL Winter Season in their first season of re-entry, resulting in promotion to division 1 for 2023/24 season!

Omega 1 vs Cranfield – Saturday 7th April 2018

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Omega vs Cranfield - 7thh April 2018

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!

Omega 1 vs Norfolk Utd 2 at Norwich, Sat 24th March 2018

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Omega travel to Norwich for their penultimate East Region game against Norfolk Utd, the team promoted with them from division 3 at the end of last season.  The build up to the game has presented nerves as they are missing their regular shooter, but both Hannah Brown and Emma Faulkner step up from the 2nd team, to fill the shooting position and give options for mid court coverage.    After a long journey, the team arrive fairly relaxed and warm up.

They take the court with Hannah Brown filling the GS position to start and Omega have the first centre pass of the game, swiftly taking the opening goal of the game.    The Omega team start with control and skill and with the defence putting pressure on the opposition’s shooters, they force Norfolk to error their first two centre passes within the shooting circle, allowing Omega to score the first 5 consecutive goals of the game.  The tight defence by Phoebe Gillen (GK), Hannah Sell (GD) and Claire Daws (WD) continues through the opening half of this quarter, which forces the Norfolk attack to error on several occasions, turning over the possession of play to Omega’s advantage on several occasions and the attack players Sophie Cockrill (WA) and Lucy Andrews (C) demonstrating great control of the ball, seeking out the shooters, who’s accuracy is on fire!  With both teams in the same colour kit, some confusion is evident as Emma Maidment (GA), sees the blue on the edge of the circle and thinking it is her team member,  she passes the ball to Norfolk’s centre and they quickly take the ball down court to goal.   The determination and desire to win is evident in both teams, resulting in the umpires having words with players on both teams and a player on each team being cautioned (Omega for persistent offence and Norfolk for dissent on umpire’s decision).  The opening quarter ends with Omega holding the lead with a score of 15-8.

Some praise for the great display of netball during the quarter and the team being told to continue the play as they’ve started.  The same team take the court once more, but Norfolk make changes to both their circle ends, replacing their GK and GS in an attempt to keep the scores close.   The first centre pass goes to Norfolk this time and the quarter doesn’t start so well for Omega with Norfolk fighting back, stealing the first 3 goals of the quarter.   Hannah Sell’s tight marking wins Omega the opportunity to claw back a goal as the Norfolk GA contacts as she attempts to position herself for a goal line pass, but the ball is quickly returned to Norfolk.  The sea of blue on the court is seeming to cause problems for the Omega team this quarter and they loose the ball on a couple of occasions, throwing the ball to their opposition in error as a result.   Omega’s WD, Claire Daw picks up a warning for persistent obstruction around the circle in an attempt to pressure the Norfolk attack.  This quarter, the Norfolk GK puts on the pressure and Omega struggle to find their shooter, forcing Emma Maidment to work harder to dominate the shooting circle.   Likewise, the Norfolk GS appears to have given their GA confidence and the accuracy of both players is now spot on.  These changes allow Norfolk to claw back the goals, winning the 2nd quarter 13 -11, ending the first half with a score of 26-21 to Omega.

A tactical change to the team, with Emma Faulkner replacing Hannah Brown as GS and Sam Abbott replacing Claire Daw at WD.  The team are told to settle back and maintain control of the ball, checking the player they are throwing to, to avoid further passing direct to the opposition.   Once again, the quarter starts with Norfolk fighting back hard and taking the first three goals of the quarter in the early minutes, but a swift change as this time it’s Norfolk’s turn to get confused with the colours as they pass the ball directly to Omega.   Another caution is given, this time to Omega’s WA, Sophie Cockrill for dissent towards the umpire’s decision, which sees the possession awarded to Norfolk.    Omega are not moving onto the pass this quarter and Norfolk are quick to read the pass and steal it on several occasions.    The Omega defence continues to be strong and tight, forcing Norfolk attack to error, but having gained the possession, Omega return the ball straight back to their opposition.   An error with a foot on the line at a side-line throw in proves costly for Omega as Norfolk hold onto possession and gain an equaliser bringing the score to 32-32 with only a minute to the end of the quarter.  Omega fight back to regain a lead to end the quarter 34-32.

The final quarter and players are told to take back control and move on to the pass.  A slight change with Sam Abbott taking the WD and Hannah Sell returning to GD and the team take the court.  Norfolk GS misses the first shot of the quarter and goes for the rebound, but contacts Omega defence, allowing Omega to take the first 2 goals of the quarter.   The colours look to be proving difficult for both teams in the opening minutes, as each player appears to be really thinking about their pass before releasing the ball.  Determined to maintain control and the lead, Omega attack display skill in controlling and linking the passes and perfection in the inter-passing within the shooting circle.  This, coupled with some superb interceptions by Omega’s defence, allows Omega to increase their lead to 5 goals, but an error on a centre pass sees Norfolk pick up the next 2 goals, reducing the lead once more.   Omega settle again and their discipline in ball control throughout the whole court, pays dividends as they re-open up the lead.  Desire to win ever present, sees Omega’s WD, Sam Abbott cautioned for deliberate contact in the final minutes.    Lucy Andrews intercepts the ball in the final 30 seconds but immediately returns the ball to Norfolk who punish with a goal.   The final centre pass is Norfolk’s, but the team continues to the pressure to the bitter end, with Hannah Sell intercepting the ball and the team take it to the shooters, but there is not enough time to convert a final goal.   The game ends with a final score of 45-40, limiting Norfolk to a single point for the table.  The win sees Omega sitting 1 point behind top of the table, Thoroughbreds who have played all of their games and Omega having one more game in hand, hence the potential to take the top spot.

Player of the Match for Omega went to Emma Maidment and for Norfolk, to their GD.

An excellent display of competitive netball from both teams as is usually the case when the two teams meet and a game controlled well by both umpires.  Omega meet Cranfield for their final re-arranged game, which is a home game on Saturday 7th April, when they hope to secure the top spot and promotion for the 3rd year running, this time to Division 1 of the East Region League.

Omega 1 vs Bears 1, Saturday 10th Feb 2018

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Omega 1 vs Bears 1 10th Feb 2018

After playing against Bears earlier in the season and the final score being 54-54, Omega knew this was going to be a competitive game and that they would have to put up a fight in order to take the win which is exactly what they did.

Omega take the 1st centre pass to start the game off, a missed goal by Omega resulted in Bears being the first on the scoreboard. Both teams are making mistakes and the game is almost goal for goal, defence are applying pressure and making several interceptions but are being called up by the umpires for ball handling and contact resulting in the ball being back in Bears possession. Both teams were rattled by the pressure, Bears WA was given a caution for persistent breaking on centre passes and Omega’s WA is told to tidy up her obstruction. A close finish to the 1st quarter 11-10 to Bears.

Omega start off the 2nd quarter with nothing but determination. Omega have the 1st centre pass which is straight to goal – they were back to playing their game. Omega were defending throughout the whole court forcing Bears to make errors and converting these into goals. Both teams desire to win is really starting to show as Bears WA is given a warning for dangerous play and Omega’s WD is given a caution. Omega’s shooters were consistent throughout the quarter and both had averaged above 90%. The score at the end of the quarter saw Omega pulling away at 26-24.

Moving onto the 3rd quarter with a 2 goal lead Omega’s attack worked the ball around and were feeding into the shooting circle superbly. The team came together as one and everyone was on their game, 4 lose balls were picked up by Omega in the 3rd quarter alone. Omega’s defence were communicating and working well together – 4 interceptions were made, several balls were forced off the back line whilst also applying pressure causing Bears to be called up for a held ball. Omega managed to retain their lead and the final score of the quarter was 42-38.

Final quarter and Bears had the 1st centre pass but were penalised for delaying play therefore it was advanced and handed over to Omega. The 4th quarter was the quarter Omega pulled away and took the win with the 1st 4 goals of the quarter being scored by themselves. Another 2 of Bears balls were forced off the back line due to solid defence. 10 minutes left on the clock and Omega were 10 goals up!!!!! Bears were beginning to feel the pressure, making silly mistakes allowing Omega to take advantage of this. Omega WA now also given a warning. Omega were minimising mistakes in this final quarter and went out fighting for that win. The hard work paid off as the final score was 63-48.

POM was awarded to GA Emma Maidment.

Omega 1 vs Ipswich – Sunday 18th February 2018

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Squad – Emma Maidment, Charlotte Jordan, Sophie Cockrill, Megan Pryde, Lucy Andrews, Hannah Sell, Claire Daw, Hannah Lok and Sam Abbott

This weekend Omega travelled to Ipswich for their rearranged game against Ipswich Ladies. 

Omega had first centre with Ipswich Ladies putting the pressure on from the first whistle and managing to intercept in the circle, leading to a turnover goal for them followed by scoring from their own centre pass. From then Omega knew this was going to be a tough and competitive game. Keeping the pressure on our defence managed to intercept the ball but couldn’t covert to the circle. Both teams making errors and turnovers but Ipswich Ladies took a 2 goal lead with the first quarter ending 11-9.

For the second quarter Omega make a change to the Centre court position. Encouraged by their 2 goal lead Ipswich Ladies continued their strong play with Omega, unusually, finding it hard to get into their normal, strong and fast play. Despite some great interceptions from Omega’s defence, Omega failed to covert these chances and contest the lead.  Ipswich Ladies took the initiative this quarter with their defence playing strongly against our shooters and pulling ahead by 10 goals. However, with only a few seconds to go to the end of the quarter Omega’s WD throws a superb ball straight into GS who coverts. The quarter ended 27-17 to Ipswich Ladies.

Another change for the Omega in their attack and defence. Omega were determined to pull this game back and fight for every ball. Ipswich Ladies have the first centre pass and the Omega defence straight away put the pressure on. Continuing the pressure from Omega this forced Ipswich Ladies to make silly mistakes which Omega took full advantage of. Omega played their quick game from defence to attack with the shooters not missing. Fantastic play from Omega with them taking their opportunities this led them to pull back to within 5 goals of Ipswich. The third quarter finished 38-33. 

Coming into the last quarter, Omega were fired up and ready to try to take control of the game.  Omega had first centre pass and scored to bring them within 4 goals. With Ipswich Ladies feeling the pressure and making mistakes, Omega took advantage and levelled the game at 38-38. Despite Omega gaining confidence both teams fought hard to gain the advantage. Ipswich Ladies pulled away with two quick goals and converted their chances. Unfortunately time ran out on Omega and Ipswich Ladies won the game 49-44. 

The game was played in great spirit with Ipswich’s GA awarded player of the match along with Omega’s GS. 

Well done Ipswich Ladies! 

Omega 1 vs Rookies – Saturday 3rd February 2018

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Omega 1 vs Rookies at Wisbech on 3rd Feb 2018

This weekend saw Omega travel away to Rookies for an early 10.30 start.  Omega, having just returned to the top of the table were now once again the team to beat so they knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game.

The first C was taken by Rookies and Omega got off to a great start putting them under pressure causing the GD to break, giving Omega their first attempt to covert, which they did.  The game was end to end for the majority of this quarter with both teams making errors and giving each other the option to take the lead. Sloppy mistakes by Omega saw Rookies take advantage and with some faultless shooting by the Rookies shooters, the quarter finished 15-12 to Rookies.

The second quarter showed the resilience of Omega, who took the court with the pure intention to get control of the game and gain a leading position.  Although Rookies were just as fired up for this game and also started strong, hanging on to their lead.  Some great pressure from the Omega GD saw a fantastic interception and a forced held ball.  Unfortunately  omega failed to convert these opportunities and the lead remained with Rookies for the early part of the quarter. Omega increased the pressure throughout the quarter and with a great turnover from centre court Omega started to get back into their stride and play their normal netball.  This increase in pressure caused Rookies to make mistakes with simple errors such as breaking, which Omega took full advantage off.  With a spell of fantastic shooting by Omega the quarter ended 31-28 to Omega.

The third quarter was well contested, again with both teams increasing the pressure to make the other team make mistakes.  Omega attack were sloppy with passing this week, losing the ball on a few occasions, something which is very unusual for the Omega attack, who have the best attacking record in the division.  This, along with a struggle to stop the accuracy of the Rookies shooters and some easy balls going into the GS, meant that Omega did drop some goals once again.   The quarter ended 44-44.

The final quarter was heated to say the least with the  umpires having to caution 2 Rookies player for time wasting and there was a tactical decision to call some injury time with several Rookies players changing positions and going off for injury but then returning to the court within the minute.  Nevertheless Omega continued to fight for this game, with a strong turnover by the Omega GD they eventually took a two goal lead with 30 seconds to go.

Unfortunately Omega were making way too many errors instead of just putting this game to bed.  A poor pass from within the Omega attack gave possession to Rookies which they punished them for.  Omega simply did not convert all of their opportunities in this quarter and allowed Rookies to stay in the game.  The Rookies shooters barely missed a shot all game so full credit has to go to them for making it extremely difficult to get any big lead.  Omega walk away feeling happy with the 3 points but frustrated that they handed Rookies the draw, who probably feel like they are the winners of this fixture.   Game ends 57-57

Players of the match were awarded to both the Rookies GA and the Omega GA.

Omega 1 vs Thoroughbreds – Saturday 10th January 2018

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Omega vs Thoroughbreds

Saturday 20th January saw Omega vs Thoroughbreds for first place in the East Region League. Going into this match we knew it was going to be well fought by both sides and not an easy win. Nevertheless, we were raring to go and were determined to continue our winning streak.

As the first quarter began it was clear to see that the nerves were getting to Omega with footwork and forced errors. However, we began to work as a team and got back on track with Phoebe Gillen (GK) safely collecting a rebound that the team took to goal. Great defensive play came from Lucy Andrews (C ) as she intercepted Thoroughbreds Centre pass and with a superb feed from Sophie Cockrill (WA) Omega scored another goal. Tight defence from Omega resulted in forcing Thoroughbreds centre pass out of court and with Omega working together as a team resulted in another goal. Unfortunate footwork from Omega gave Thoroughbreds the chance to claw back and with the next centre being theirs this resulted in Omega conceding multiple goals.  With 5.9 seconds displayed on the electronic scoreboard, a “Time!” call from the Thoroughbreds scorer results in the umpire ending the 1st quarter just as Charlotte Jordan (GS) has the ball ready to take a shot!  After some confusion, the umpire goes with the call and decides to end the quarter ahead of time and Omega are robbed of a goal!  The score at the end of the first quarter was 15-11 to Omega.

The Second quarter kicked off with Omega taking the first centre pass. Omega was playing very good netball however unfortunately lost the ball with a pass across the circle, with both teams not giving in easily, contact by thoroughbreds gave us possession of the ball but unfortunately we missed the shot and Thoroughbreds gained possession and brought it down court to the GS who again failed to score. Omega took full advantage of this and confidently converted to goal. Omega continue to work tirelessly, putting pressure on Thoroughbreds’ Centre pass and forcing 3 seconds. The score at the end of this quarter was 28-24.

Going into the third quarter both teams were beginning to tire but were determined to give it all they had. Valiant defending from Lucy Andrews (C) resulted in her tipping Thoroughbreds centre pass but unfortunately slow transitioning meant her efforts were not rewarded and Thoroughbreds were fighting back and scored two consecutive goals. Hannah Sell (WD) hunts down the ball and intercepts allowing Charlotte Jordan (GS) to put another goal on the board for Omega. Omega are now noticeably tiring, making silly mistakes including; footwork and breaking which Thoroughbreds punished us for and brought the score even. The end of the third quarter was 41-40 to omega.

In the last quarter, the crowd were on the edge of their seats and you could feel the tension in the air. Omega started well scoring 3 consecutive goals. Thoroughbreds forced the ball off the court and it was their backline. Foot on the line gave us a chance to increase our lead but unfortunately we lost the ball. Fantastic netball was seen by Charlotte Jordan and Hannah Sell as Charlotte drew the GK out of the circle allowing Hannah to feed in under the post for a goal. In the final few seconds Omega are drawing with Thoroughbreds and Emma Maidment (GA) receives a penalty. Omega’s supporters are standing with anticipation as Emma scores, finishing with a 53-52 win.

Omega 1 vs Comberton 2nd round – Sat 13th Jan 2018

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Omega 1 vs Comberton 13th Jan 2018

The return match between Omega 1 and Comberton in the 2nd round of the East Region League and it’s an away game for Omega with a squad of 8 due to illness.  The starting team being GS – Charlotte Jordan, GA and Captain – Emma Maidment, WA – Sophie Cockrill, C – Lucy Andrews, WD – Hannah Sell, GD – Hannah Lok and GK – Sam Abbot, with Claire Daw on the bench.

The first quarter was a good opener for Omega, with Comberton Shooters not yet having a good eye for the shot, which Omega took advantage of.  Omega were quick into the game with some great early turnovers by both defence and centre court players, enabling Omega attack to play some quick balls into the shooters, who capitalised on the hard work of the team, allowing Omega to take an early lead of 9 goals going into the 2nd quarter with a score of 15-6 in Omega’s favour.

A change to the team for the 2nd quarter, with Claire Daw taking the court at WD and Hannah Sell on the bench.  The start of this quarter saw great controlled play by the entire Omega team, excellent interworking in the circle by the shooters and several rebounds and interceptions being won by the Omega defence players.  However the Comberton shooters had now got their eye in and were consistent in their conversion at every opportunity awarded them, reducing the goal difference by 2 goals and it was Omega’s turn to be off the shooting boil!   Additionally, Omega lost control of the ball on 2 of their  consecutive centre passes and Comberton were quick to punish them with 3 straight goals.  Omega fought  back hard, breaking down the next Comberton centre pass to gain control and steal back a goal, followed swiftly by converting the goal on their following centre pass and a strong defensive rebound by Sam in GK on the next, allowed them to gain back their lost goals to maintain a stable lead.  The 1st half ends 27-19.

The coach and captain remind the team of our game play, as some key areas were seen to be lacking in the 2nd quarter.  A swift change again in defence sees Sam Abbott leave the court and Hannah Sell take up the GK position for the remainder of the game.   Tight defending on the first centre pass results in Comberton being punished for a held ball and Omega are off to a promising start,  but the advantage is short lived as Omega fail to convert the shot.  However, Omega force another error on Comberton and this time, Omega please the supporters with a goal.   The first few minutes of this quarter and Omega are quick to punish Comberton at every opportunity, taking advantage of many errors forced on the team.    Some fantastic interceptions were performed by Claire (WD), Sophie (WA) and Hannah Sell (GK) this quarter, as a result of added pressure on Comberton added by the entire Omega team, which allowed Omega to increase their lead to 15 goals very quickly, with Omega’s shooters now consistent in their conversion.    Comberton settle back into the game in the latter part of the quarter, which is more evenly played, however the earlier lead is maintained by Omega.

Going into the final quarter, Omega have a comfortable 18 goal lead and it starts with even court play, but Omega’s strong centre court defensive play, once again forces Comberton into a held ball situation and Omega are quick to take advantage.    We see some great rotation play by the Omega shooters, Emma and Charlotte, in the circle and strong support at the circle edge by the Lucy (C) and Sophie (WA).  The team make some strong links across the court which results in them continuing to steadily increase their lead throughout the quarter.  In the final minutes of the game, Hannah Lok (GD) and Hannah Sell (GK) are strong and they intercept the ball well.  A solid performance from the entire squad and another great result with a final score of 58 – 38.  Not as big a goal difference as the 1st round, but Comberton gave Omega a great game throughout, showing they are a team to be reckoned with.

Omega 1 vs MK Netters Diamonds – 6th January 2018

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For the first game of 2018, Omega nervously arrived at their home ground. From beating MK Netters at the start of the season, we knew they were going to come back fighting. The quarter started steady as Omega were finding their feet. Emma and Charlotte – who has only just come back from a broken elbow – worked well as usual in the shooting circle, with great back up from mid court who were being tightly marked. MK Netters showed a strong presence capitalising on mistakes caused by Omega with the score line going goal for goal. Omega’s defence stepped up a gear with tight marking and forced MK Netters back line pass over 3 seconds which led to Omega goal. With up to 5 great rebounds from newly returned Hannah Lok in defence, Omega came off with 15 – 12 lead.

Second quarter, saw Omega come on the court with determination to dig deeper and drive on. MK netters GS was very accurate so the defence had to work hard in calling the ball into the circle and doubling up leading to tips and turnovers. These tips were then worked down the court, at times a bit frantic leading to some errors by Omega with some scrappy passing. However we fought on to come off winning at half time 28 – 24, we knew we had to step up a gear…

MK Netters weren’t ready to give up and came back on fighting with their Centre pass, but instantly errored as omega tightly marked so the ball wasn’t received and converted eventually to goal. Defence were manning on and communicating well as the ball travelled down the court with some tough defence from Phoebe and Hannah Lok, who went on to win a toss up leading to goal! Passing down the court was better and especially into the circle was spot on, mixing up with short bounce passes from Lucy as well as a strong direct balls from Hannah Sell in mid court saw our shooters finish it off. We had settled down in the 3rd quarter coming off with an extensive 49 – 30 lead.

The last quarter saw another change in positions for omega which took a few minutes for the team to adjust too. With Mk netters not giving in and their GS sinking every shot they started to gain a few goals! Lucy kept giving great support right the way down the court along with Sophie to ensure the ball got to Emma and Charlotte who were working well together with sneaky little passes to get the best chance to goal which led to Charlotte (GS) getting Player of the match winning 60 – 45

Omega vs Cranfield – Sunday 26th November 2017

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In the early hours of Sunday 26th Omega began their journey to Bedford to face Cranfield. After a nail biting draw with Bears, Omega were raring to go and determined to get back on their winning streak. The team this week included: Phoebe Gillen, Hannah Sell, Claire Daw, Megan Pryde, Lucy Andrews, Sophie Cockrill, Emma Maidment and Charlotte Jordan.

The first quarter saw Omega work together as an unbreakable unit, with interceptions and loose balls picked up from 6 out of the 7 players. However you could feel the tension in the air and Omega were noticeably letting the pressure get to them, resulting in multiple errors occurring and the first quarter finishing with Cranfield taking a 14 – 12 lead!

Going into the second quarter Omega knew they had to calm down and play their usual, intelligent game. We were down by 4 but with great 3 second defending from Omega, vital interceptions from Hannah Sell (GD) and Lucy Andrews (C), brilliant shooting from Emma Maidment (GA) and Charlotte Jordan (GS) – despite sustaining an injury, thought to be a dislocated shoulder but later turned out to be a broken radial head. We pulled it back in the last few minutes to end the second quarter with a 24 all draw.

After a great speech from the captain, Emma and technical advice from Andrea. Omega returned to court focused and ready take the lead. Picking up the pace from their slow start Omega began to pull ahead. Consistent shooting and great interceptions from Phoebe Gillen (GK), Hannah Sell and Claire Daw (WD), saw Omega only concede 5 goals – finishing the third quarter 29-41.

Omega continued to increase their already established lead in the final quarter with a valiant effort from Charlotte who continued to play through gritted teeth and impressive circle defence.   The final score being 53 – 37 to Omega, but not an easy win by any means, particularly in the first half of the game.  We look forward to welcoming Cranfield to our home ground and wish them every success with the rest of the season.