Posted 5th Apr 2021

‘Lessons to be learnt’ as Blue & Gold’s unbeaten start to 2021 Superleague season ends with single-goal defeat to Mavericks

Anna Stembridge says her squad will take plenty of lessons from Easter Sunday’s single-goal defeat to Saracens Mavericks which saw Team Bath Netball’s unbeaten start to the 2021 Vitality Superleague season come to a battling end.

An outstanding contest between two old rivals saw the Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold trail for the first time this season at half-time and go five goals behind an inspired Mavericks side at one stage during the third quarter before showing tremendous resilience to draw level at 38-38 with just a minute left on the clock.

Mavericks held their nerve to net the decisive goal and deny Team Bath victory for the first time this term but they remain three points clear at the top of the table and Superleague Head Coach Stembridge says they are continuing to learn as a team ahead of this weekend’s double header against league newcomers Leeds Rhinos and London Pulse.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the win and that hurts but it was a great game for the neutral and fair play to Mavericks, I thought they did really well,” said Stembridge. “They didn’t spill much ball and we didn’t get as much turnover as we have previously. We got a bit sticky at times and weren’t letting the passes go.

“I don’t feel like we started as well as we have previously, we took a while to get into the game and it felt like we only got going in the last quarter.

“I think we are our own hardest critics and even when we were winning games we knew we weren’t getting everything our own way and questions were being asked of us. This was a real hard lesson but we will take as much as we can from the game.”

Rengen-backed Team Bath will be looking to bounce back when they make the long journey to the central venue in Wakefield, Yorkshire for the last time this week for the final two matches in the first half of the Superleague season.

They start on Friday with a first meeting against new franchise Leeds Rhinos, who have made an impressive start to their debut Superleague campaign and sit sixth in the table with five wins from their opening nine matches (7.15pm centre-pass).

Team Bath return to court at 4pm on Saturday for a second match in 13 days against London Pulse, who lost 51-29 when the teams met in late March but recorded a confidence-boosting victory over Severn Stars on Easter Monday.

Both games are being streamed live and for free on Sky Sports YouTube (click here for the links). Sadly we have had to postpone our planned Virtual Home Stand Watchalong for the London Pulse match and apologise for any inconvenience.

Team Bath Netball is supported by its Principal Partner, chartered accountants Haines Watts, who are also a pathway partner, and by Rengen and Centurion Chartered Financial PlannersO’Neills are Team Bath’s official kit supplier.

Match stats

Saracens Mavericks starting 7: GS Kadeen Corbin, GA Ine-Mari Venter, WA Sasha Corbin, C Gabriella Marshall, WD Jodie Gibson, GD Jo Trip, GK Razia Quashie. Replacements: Britney Pringle-Clarke, Stephanie Collard, Beth Ecuyer-Dale, Chloe Essam, Georgia Lees.

Team Bath Netball starting 7: GS Kim Borger, GA Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, WA Rachel Shaw, C Serena Guthrie, WD Tash Pavelin, GD Layla Guscoth, GK Eboni Usoro-Brown. Replacements: Summer Artman, Abi Robson, Jess Shaw, Betsy Creak, Hannah Passmore.

Quarter scores (Saracens Mavericks first): Q1 10-11; Q2 11-8 (21-19); Q3 11-11 (32-30). Q4 7-8 (39-38).

Picture credit: Ben Lumley

Other news articles

More moments of brilliance and duo’s debuts to celebrate as Team Bath Netball wrap up their 2023 Super League season

Head Coach Asha Francis wants her Team Bath Netball players to recognise and celebrate their moments of brilliance after they wrapped up their 2023 Super League season. The Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold were beaten 82-57 at semi-finalists Loughborough...

Read More
Team Bath Netball looking to end 2023 Super League season with “a performance we can be really proud of” at Loughborough Lightning

Team Bath Netball conclude their 2023 Super League season tonight as they started it – by taking on Loughborough Lightning in front of the Sky Sports cameras (7.30pm centre-pass). The Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold were beaten on the...

Read More
Jayda Pechova joins Imogen Allison in Vitality Roses programme as Team Bath quartet earn England selection for 2023-24 season

University of Bath sporting scholar Jayda Pechova has been rewarded for her excellent debut Super League season with Team Bath Netball by being promoted to the senior Vitality Roses ranks for the 2023-24 international season. The 18-year-old defender joins...

Read More
Team Bath Netball Sponsors
Partners and Suppliers