Promising Powell can’t save Wyvern from Leyton loss
Eleanor Durcan. wk 07.
MISSING a number of experienced players Wyvern-Grangers went down to a 40-34 defeat to Leyton at Woodford in Premier Division Two this week.
Wyvern named a squad of only eight, including Regional Division Two player Louise Powell, who made her debut for the side.
The hard working defensive duo of Josie Huckle at GK and Verona Tomlin at GD worked tirelessly to secure turnover ball and create opportunities for the mid-court to drive the ball through.
The first quarter saw physical Leyton limit the feeds into the shooting partnership of Jo Shortt and Charlotte South as they led 10-6.
And injury to Simeone Compton saw the second period stopped as coach Tomlin made some inspired positional changes, moving herself to GA, South to WA and bringing on Powell, normally a mid-court player, to GD. Wyvern went on a run of unanswered goals before Leyton called for a tactical time out and made positional changes to the WD and GD in an attempt to limit Wyvern’s goals and shut down the feeds of Clare Drakeford and South into the attacking circle as they narrowed the gap to 19-17 at half time.
Leyton brought on a fresh GA for the third quarter, while a string of key umpiring decisions went against Wyvern as the hosts led 32-22 going into the final quarter.
Faced with an uphill climb, Wyvern continued to surge forward as they battled for possession. The contest between Leyton’s WA and Wyvern’s WD, Rov Allen, proved to be a feisty affair until Allen was sent off in the last few minutes.
With only six players, Wyvern won the fourth quarter with a run of three unanswered goals, but it was too little too late. Tomlin was voted player of the match by Leyton, with Wyvern voting debutant Powell as their player of the match.
Times and Citizen ticket winners, Bethany Dix and her mum Karen Dix, saw the Mavericks NTL and Superleague teams secure a double win.
Determined Mavericks Youth scored a narrow 41-40 victory over West Midands Warriors in the evening’s first fixture, in front of a packed crowd of 500-plus.
Five Wyvern-Grangers players, Allen, Bea Skinsley, Eleanor Durcan, Shaunagh Craig and Clare Drakeford, were selected into the 12-strong Mavericks Youth squad. Craig and Durcan were named in the starting seven and made good impacts as Mavericks led 26-17 at half time. With a nine-goal cushion the coaches made three changes, resting Durcan and bringing on Bobbie Simmonds to WA, Drakeford to C and Allen at WD.
However, Mavericks struggled to adjust to the changes and the Birmingham closed the gap to 33-30. A positional switch for Craig from GS to GA instantly lifted the feeds into the circle in the fourth quarter and, with the return of Durcan at WA with some balletic turns and dynamic interceptions, a vocal crowd urged Mavericks Youth on to a slim win to keep them second in the league.
The senior side then won 54-42 in their mid-table clash against Team Northumbria to move into the top four. Wyvern-Grangers player Huckle was selected at GK as both sides made a tentative start with a number of unforced errors.
However, Mavericks took control by getting the basics right as they eased to victory.
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Weather for Bedford
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Light showers
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