SEVERN Stars staged a second half fight back against London Pulse, but it was not enough to avoid a 41-36 defeat in a feisty fixture in the Vitality Netball Superleague.
Pulse carved out an early lead in the match, at Wakefield’s Studio 001, on Easter Monday (April 5), and significantly extended it in the second quarter. Though Stars pulled it back late on, the team couldn’t recover the damage that had been done earlier in the match.
After trailing 12-7 at the end of the first quarter, Stars rang the changes for the second with the reshuffle allowing Jane Taylor to enter at wing attack. Ellie Gibbons was brought on at wing attack to add to a Stars offence which produced just three goals in the quarter.
A bright start from Stars after half-time saw them score two on the trot to reduce the 24-12 deficit but, despite winning turnovers, goal attack Paige Reed struggled to convert on the long range shot.
After reducing the lead further to just eight points, Pulse responded with changes in their defensive end, bringing Lindsay Keable to goal defence, which seemed to halt Stars’ momentum swing and the third quarter finished with London Pulse still with a 33-23 lead.
Strength from Stars shooters Rowe and Reed brought the score back to five in the final quarter, but the damage had already been done by Pulse earlier in the game.
Head coach Melissa Bessell, said: “I’m proud of the whole team today, proud of their composure, their control. We talk about netball being physical and I’m proud of the team for finishing so strongly with what they had to deal with today.”
• Stars face Saracens Mavericks on Sunday (April 11).