NSL 2024: LONDON PULSE v TEAM BATH MATCH REPORT
By Paul Prenderville
London Pulse made it five wins in a row with a spectacular 76-50 victory over Team Bath – a win that gives them a first Superleague double of the season, and equalled their highest ever goal total in the competition.
In front of a raucous Copper Box crowd, Sam Bird team proved too strong and having racked up 76 goals in the first meeting between the teams, they matched the feat and fell agonisingly short of a new franchise record in the dying seconds.
Victory also means that Pulse are three points behind the top two of Manchester Thunder and Loughborough Lightning, but also six points clear of fourth placed Severn Stars and crucially nine points ahead of Surrey Storm in fifth.
“It was a very Pulse performance, I was very pleased with how we attacked through the court, it was a nice mix of discipline but creative playing – and we found Olivia under the post so well,” said Bird.
“It’s really good to see the players take on board what you ask of them and they are so skilful that once the penny drops, they buy into it and execute it well
“They went short, they went long, they saw the open ball and it’s so nice to give really skilful players the freedom to play good netball and put 76 goals on the board.”
After a hard-fought win over Saracens Mavericks on Monday night, Bird had promised to utilise the full squad and all 12 players were able to get onto the court – including Isla May who became the latest Pathway product to get her Pink and Black colours.
A brilliant four quarters saw some thrilling attacking netball that delighted the home crowd, and while the defence has taken most of the plaudits this season, Bird was delighted with the attacking verve shown for a full 60 minutes.
“When you are able to turn defenders’ heads and they are not sure whether the ball is coming into the circle from the left, right or middle – whether it’s a front ball, or an over ball – that’s exactly the way we need to be playing.
“The structures we’ve been working so hard on are there now and that is really good to see.”
Pulse hit the road in Round 11, gunning for revenge against Severn Stars who are one of only two to take points from them they season, but they do so having won every game since that defeat and having produced arguably their best all-round display of the season.
STORY OF THE GAME
Having been pushed all the way against Saracens Mavericks on Monday, with no changes to the starting seven throughout, Sam Bird stayed true to her word of utilising the squad.
Nichole Taljaard was given her first start of the season and immediately struck up a rapport with Olivia Tchine, feeding the Pulse shooter who was a perfect 12 from 12 in the opening 15 minutes.
Taljaard’s feed for the hosts was matched by a typically relentless defensive effort and it wasn’t long before Funmi Fadoju added to her league high 26 interceptions. The England defender plucked the ball out of Sloane Burton’s hands and Pulse took the ball to post to open up a two goal lead.
With Wing Attack Bethan Dyke (8 feeds) impressing for the visitors and Sophie Kelly sinking some trademark long-range efforts it wasn’t until the closing minutes of the quarter that Pulse began to pull away – the relentless Tchine ensured a healthy advantage at the first break.
Q1: London Pulse 16-11 Team Bath
With Ellie Ervine’s introduction for Bath prompting a defensive reshuffle as Jayda Pechova move to Goal Keeper to combat Tchine, Pulse took advantage as they got their bearings and a five-goal lead became eight in no time.
Alicia Scholes was growing increasingly influential, and joined Taljaard in ensuring a clean feed into Tchine, the Wing Attack fired in a couple of laser-guided passes to the Pulse shooter as the crowd cranked up the volume.
Bath regrouped and closed the gap to five midway through the quarter, but inspired by their shooting circle, Pulse went through the gears.
If being a perfect 35 from 35 wasn’t enough for the hosts Taljaard and Tchine combined for a near-impossible juggling act in the dying seconds that Tchine finished in trademark style for a double-digit advantage.
HT: London Pulse 36-26 Team Bath (20-15)
Pulse’s 20-goal second quarter matched their best of the season but with Bird ringing the changes for the third 15 minutes, there was no letting up.
Jeresia McEachrane and Berri Neil replaced Fadoju and Izzi Phillips, which moved Scholes to Centre.
A five-goal blast from the new look attacking trio of Taljaard, shifted to Wing Attack, Neil – on at Goal Attack – and Tchine set the tone.
Bath made changes of their own, bringing Kadeen Corbin on at Goal Shooter but an impressive Pulse all-court defence was limiting the visitors chances.
At the other end, Neil added her name to the scoresheet and Scholes continued to add the flair despite her change of bib. A ten-goal lead had more than doubled as Pulse surpassed their 20-goal total of the second period to set a new season-high of 24 goals in a quarter.
Q3: London Pulse 60-37 Team Bath (24-11)
With a comfortable advantage, Bird took the chance to experiment in the final quarter with Zara Everitt getting minutes in the Centre bib and Darcie Everitt replacing Halimat Adio at Goal Keeper.
However there was no let up in the quality as the youthful defensive end provided the platform for the free flowing attack to continue delivering – Darcie Everitt’s fine intercept being a show stopping highlight.
As the quarter was closing out, Jada Autumn got another run out and Isla May got her first NSL minutes as Pulse closed on their record goal tally with Taljaard underlining her play making abilities from Wing Attack.
Fittingly it was Tchine that sunk the record equally 76th goal but time ran out before a new benchmark could be set, but a superb three points had long been secured.
FT: London Pulse 76-50 Team Bath (16-13)
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Alicia Scholes
Starting 7s
Pulse: GK – Adio; GD – Fadoju; WD – Z Everitt; C – Phillips; WA – Scholes; GA – Taljaard; GS – Tchine. Bench – D Everitt, McEachrane, Autumn, May, Neil.
Team Bath: GK – Putt; GD – Pechova; WD – Pavelin C – Maslen; WA – Dyke; GA – Kelly; GS – Burton. Bench – Ervine, Catling, Harris, K Corbin, Barrie.
ROUND 10 RESULTS
Friday – Loughborough Lightning 68-60 Saracens Mavericks
Friday – Cardiff Dragons 55-58 Surrey Storm
Friday – Strathclyde Sirens 44-55 Leeds Rhinos
Friday – Manchester Thunder 61-46 Severn Stars