Newquay Storm Fall Short in Hard-Fought Contest Against League Leaders

Photos: Andrew Trenoweth

Newquay Storm gave a spirited performance in their third game of the Netball South West Regional League 3 (South) season, narrowly losing 53-46 to early league leaders CCNC Lions in a physical encounter at Truro School.

Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives for Storm, who went toe-to-toe with one of the division's strongest sides.

After their promotion via last season’s playoffs, Storm have adjusted quickly to the challenges of the regional league. The team followed up a tough opening day loss to Vivary (53-37) with an impressive win over Hovelands (52-41) last week, and they came into this game looking to improve on that performance.

The match started evenly, with Newquay Storm battling hard to stay within a single point at the end of the first quarter, trailing 13-12. Goal Shooter Kirstie Worth and Goal Attack Amelia Gard shot 100% to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Goal Attack Amelia Gard looks to score another goal for Newquay Storm | Photo: Andrew Trenoweth

By half time, Storm had turned things around, taking a slender 25-24 lead. Centre Aimee Thompson controlled the tempo of the game well, and alongside Wing Attack Hannah Hautot, delivered some pinpoint feeds into the shooting circle.

However, Lions showed why they are top of the league in the third quarter. They turned the match on its head with a 6-goal run to lead 40-34 going into the final period. It wasn’t without drama though as Lions' Goal Shooter Flook, picked up a warning for dissent, adding a fiery edge to the contest.

Storm pushed hard in the final quarter, with Rosie White, Lydia Gard and Tamsyn Hall putting in a tireless shift in defence, but Lions’ experience showed as they managed the game, holding off a late Storm comeback.

Head Coach David White praised his side’s performance, saying, "We were right in it for most of the game and the girls showed great character. We’re still finding our feet at this level but there were a lot of positives for us to take forward."

Vice Captain Aimee Thompson played across three positions | Photo: Andrew Trenoweth

What’s Next?

Newquay Storm’s next game is in a couple of weeks on October 12th and sees them travel to face the 3rd-placed Carol Anne Diamonds, who are coming off a win in their last fixture. It’s set to be another tough challenge, but if Storm can build on this performance, they’ll be confident of making an impact.

PHOTO GALLERY

Take a look at our match gallery from the game courtesy of Club Photographer Andrew Trenoweth.

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