TeamBath are Champions!!

TEAMBATH are the inaugural figleaves.com Superleague nethall champions after their 43-35 win over Mavericks in the final at Guildford's Spectrum Arena on Saturday 3rd June.

In an often-tense final they were just too powerful and composed for Mavericks who have grown in stature and substance since their early season defeats.

'We're absolutely thrilled', said coach Jan Crabtree after the match. 'This win hasn't just been about the work on court but also about the support and all the help we've had this season. Hats off to Mavericks, they competed until the end and made us work all the way through but we're all just delighted to have won the very first trophy'.

Billy Bowers, team captain, also paid tribute to the hard work of the players. 'We deserved it. We've shown all season what a great team-unit we are and all of our hard work has paid off today'.

Mavericks, though, were first to find their shape and rhythm in a tense opening few minutes. They raced to a 3-0 lead in the opening quarter, forcing TeamBath to play themselves in and fight back. The University of Bath-based side levelled at 3-3, took a goal lead and then emerged from a see-saw three minutes - during which their final passes to goal-shooter Rachel Dunn were too weighty - to move to a 9-4 lead.

Centre Debbie Jones and wing-attack Sasha Corbin were both in good form for Mavericks and Anne-Marie Muller was athletic in the circle for the Bedford-based team. With just under four minutes to go in the quarter Mavericks called a time-out, probably disturbing the Bath momentum, and pegged back the lead to 9-7.

A rapid-fire goal apiece in the final minute saw Bath reach the break 10-8 ahead. Goal-attack Anne-Marie Muller's final shot of that quarter for Mavericks was probably one of the best in the league so far this season. Taken quickly and from distance it went in clean without touching the hoop.

With the match nicely poised for the 900 spectators as a potential cliff-hanger, TeamBath returned for the second quarter and that was when they wreaked most of the damage. The South and South West Region representative side surged to a 20-11 lead with some fluid passing.

Wing-attack Tamsin Greenway was a key player in this period. Defensively TeamBath were strong whilst Dunn and Pamela Cookey won the tense battle in the circle against England defenders Amanda Newton and Jane Colbourne. TeamBath might have made more of their lead. Instead a few lapses and some good play from Mavericks made the score 22-15 at half-time.

In the third quarter Mavericks changed their shooting order with Lydnsey Armitage at goal-shooter, Louisa Brownfield moving to goal-attack and Anne-Marie Muller swapping to wing-attack. For the opening few minutes this proved effective. Meanwhile TeamBath brought Sonya Crowe on at centre to replace Jo Binns. For long stretches of play this was a period in which Mavericks circle defenders Colbourne and Newton swung the momentum back in their favour. TeamBath had to work very hard to get the ball into Cookey and Dunn.

At the other end for TeamBath, Geva Mentor made some telling interceptions and Billy Bowers, the TeamBath captain, alongside Clare Elsley worked tirelessly to make life hard for the Mavericks' attack. Gradually, TeamBath - only beaten once throughout their season's league campaign (that by Loughborough away) - eased into a bigger league. By the end of the quarter TeamBath were up by 32-23.

First blood went to Mavericks in the final quarter. Three goals in under 90 seconds put them firmly back into contention before Bath, with Binns back on at centre, settled into their shape once more. With seven minutes to go they were eight goals ahead. Dunn and Cookey both netted a crucial goal each to stretch the lead to ten. 40 seconds later England goal-defence Amanda Newton took a ball in the face and a time out followed.

Once again TeamBath took time to recover their concentration. Mavericks put four in to pull back to 33-39, showing the kind of fighting spirit that took them to an injury-time win against the more-favoured Loughborough in the previous week's play-off.

Credit to TeamBath, though, they held their nerve, and moved back into command at 42-34 with a minute to go. Both sides added one more goal to move the final score to 43-35.

Starting Sevens:

TeamBath: GS: Rachel Dunn; GA: Pamela Cookey; WA: Tamsin Greenway; C; Jo Binns; WD: Clare Elsley; GD: Billy Bowers (Capt); GK: Geva Mentor.
TeamBath Subs: Third quarter Sonya Crowe for Binns at C; final quarter - Binns for Crowe at centre.

Mavericks: GS: Louisa Brownfield; GA: Anne-Marie Muller, WA: Sasha Corbin, C: Debbie Jones, WD: Naomi Siddall; GD: Amanda Newton, GK: Janet Colbourne.
Mavericks subs: Third quarter: Armitage for Brownfield at GS; Brownfield for Muller at GA; Muller for Sasha Corbin at WA, Natalie Seaton for Siddall at WD, Heather Clarke for Brownfield at GA.

Thanks to Matchtight for this press release