Grangetown’s started their second campaign in National Premier League 1 with a 48-54 home defeat to Tameside.
 
The two sides had finished fourth and fifth respectively last season, with Grangetown winning both fixtures; but in a hard-fought, physical encounter, it was the visitors who deservedly claimed the victory.
 
It had been a busy few months both on and off the court for Grangetown, with Ash Neal signing for reigning Super League champions Manchester Thunder, and Hannah Raine representing the England under 21 Nets squad in the recent world cup. Away from netball, Ireland defender Katie Walton got married during the summer, and her fellow international defender Genevieve Slater returned to the squad having given birth to a daughter in May.
 
The only new addition to the Grangetown squad for the opening fixture was Niamh McCall, a teenager who has played Super League for Strathclyde Sirens, as well as being a member of the Scotland squad for July’s World Cup.
 
The Tameside line-up included Beccy Hoult and Ally Thomas, who both had produced superb performances in last season’s corresponding fixture; and defender Paige Kindred, a former Super League team mate of Ash Neal at Team Northumbria.

The opening six goals were shared with Hannah Raine’s superb pass finding Abbie le Brocq free inside the Tameside circle. Hannah Williams and Ally Thomas combined well to bring the scores level, before Beccy Hoult’s feed to Ally provided the first goal against an opposition centre pass.
 
The teams then continued to trade goals, but a Grangetown miss was regathered by the visitors’ defence and the subsequent successful shot made it 6-9 to Tameside. Grangetown immediately replied following a Jenny Mrozik rebound, as Hannah Raine’s no-look pass to Ash Neal was bounced back to the Grangetown wing attack, who fed Abbie for the score.
 
Another incisive pass from Beccy Hoult set up Brogan Slicker, and Tameside extended their lead after Abbie was penalised after gathering a long ball under pressure from two defenders.
 
Ash Neal then produced the quarter’s best moment when she looked left, but passed right and found Abbie totally unmarked under the net. Ally Thomas netted right on the hooter and Tameside led 13-15 after the first 15 minutes.
 
The second period started with Ash netting from close range, before Abbie brought the scores level after gathering a rebound from possession gained by Katie Walton’s interception.
 
Frustratingly, a penalty from the Grangetown centre pass gifted the ball to Tameside, who took full advantage by scoring four unanswered goals. Ash Neal then drew the home side to within one goal by converting her next three shots, despite being put under pressure by a particularly physical visiting defensive unit.
 
Brogan Slicker was next to find the net, after Ally’s superb movement had attracted the attention of both Grangetown defenders, leaving the goal shooter completely free to continue her excellent scoring run.
 
Vicky Rees then produced a fantastic interception from a penalty, and her intervention was rewarded with a goal from Ash Neal. However, the Grangetown shooters were then guilty of a number of misses, whilst their Tameside counterparts were almost flawless in the circle and a one-goal lead was soon extended to five.
 
Whilst Grangetown struggled to cope with the visitors’ defensive intensity, their cause wasn’t helped by a number of poor decisions from the umpires; but the Tameside defenders simply played to the whistle and did a tremendous job of unsettling the home attack.
 
Tameside took a four-goal lead into half-time and their shooting accuracy was very much the difference between the teams.
 
Grangetown Head Coach Gel Williams made a number of changes during the interval; Niamh McCall was introduced at wing attack for her debut, Alice Currie replaced Abbie, and Gen Slater came on to partner Jenny Mrozik.
 
Grangetown started well and quickly halved the arrears, but Tameside showed great composure in creating and converting a number of opportunities. Twice Grangetown were penalised from their centre pass and twice Tameside moved the ball down court for their shooters to convert; and having missed a shot to make it a one-point game, Grangetown suddenly found themselves seven adrift.
 
The home side rallied and played some of their best netball with Niamh McCall and Ash Neal producing some excellent interplay to set up two quick goals. When Ria Small’s perfectly-weighted long feed found Alice Currie, the deficit was back to two. Ally Thomas was then forced to take a shot from long-range, Gen Slater gathered the rebound from a rare miss, but Grangetown spurned the subsequent opportunity, and it turned out to be a crucial miss as Brogan scored the next three goals to ensure Tameside maintained their four-goal advantage going into the final period.
 
To an extent the final quarter mirrored the previous 15 minutes as Grangetown kept pressing and fought their way back into the game, only for another vital miss to hand the initiative back to the visitors. The Tameside attacking trio of Hoult, Williams and Thomas were excellent throughout; they were quick around the court, but equally prepared to take their time and wait for the opening; and when the final hooter sounded, the visitors were good value for their 48-54 victory.
 
From Grangetown’s perspective the result was obviously disappointing, but there was much to enjoy and plenty of encouragement for the season ahead. Ash Neal was Grangetown’s best player on the day, but no one could argue with Ally Thomas being named Player of the Match, and this is what she had to say just a few minutes after the end of the game.
 
“I think we got the win today because we were patient. We only had eight players in the squad, which isn’t ideal for an away game, but collectively we were patient and we let the ball do the work.
 
“Some of us have played together for years now; it really works for us, as we know how each other plays, and where we’re going to be around the court…
 
“It was a physical game; netball always is, and it’s getting more physical and contested every year. It’s part of the game and we just have to get used to it...
 
“Overall, it’s a great start, but it’s a long season and we’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ll just keep pushing and trying to grind out the wins.
 
The Grangetown perspective came from Genevieve Slater: “I had a little girl back in May, so it’s probably about eight months since I last played for Grangetown. It’s hard to work on match practice without playing, but we’ve just got to get out on court, work hard and push through.
 
“It feels so good to be back at Grangetown. The girls here are brilliant and obviously it’s hard for me to get over here [from Dublin] and train with them, but I always get such a lovely welcome when I come over. I think this is my fifth season here, so I’m definitely one of the oldies now; but I love it.
 
“We are disappointed with the loss. For a team that can’t always train together consistently, we did have some great passages of play; but we just made too many silly mistakes. We’d score a couple of goals on the run but unfortunately we didn’t keep our foot on the pedal when we needed to.”

​To be selected to play any sport for your country is a fantastic honour that very few people are able to experience; but to earn a full international cap before you’ve made your first start for your own club’s senior squad makes the achievement even more remarkable.
 
Yet for teenage netballer Erin Peters, that is exactly what has happened.
 
Erin’s progress towards her Ireland netball debut was actually even more unconventional, as prior to becoming an all-action mid-courter, she had been one of the finest gymnasts in the country in her chosen discipline.
 
“I did tumbling on a long mat,” Erin explained. “It’s not an Olympic event, but it’s really popular. I progressed through county, regional and through to national levels where you competed for a place in the top three in the country. I came third in my first year, second the year after, and finally won the competition in my third year, and it was after that when I decided to really concentrate on netball.
 
“I joined a local team in Stockton, but moved to Grangetown after Faye [Johnston] saw me, and said I should come and play at Grangetown. I’ve been part of the club for about two years now, but after training here for about a year, I was lucky enough to get a scholarship to Queen Ethelburga’s School near York, where Tuaine [Keenan] is one of my coaches. Grangetown have been so supportive and now I’m playing for Ireland … it’s all happened so fast and it’s quite hard to take in.”
 
Erin admitted that she’d also done a lot of cross country running, at which point I thought it was reasonable to ask: “Is there anything you’re rubbish at?
 
“Football… and rugby,” Erin giggled.
 
Just the two sports then … my fault for asking!
 
Erin is the second English-based Grangetown player (after Katie Walton) to be drafted into the Ireland squad, but how did she become involved in the Irish set-up?
 
“A while ago, the Ireland squad travelled over to play a match against Grangetown, and I had a call asking if I could play in the game; so, I came down and played as part of the Grangetown squad. After the match, everyone was shaking hands and saying ‘well played’, and one of the Ireland players jokingly said: ‘It’s a shame you don’t have any Irish relatives; you’d really fit in well to our squad.’
 
“’Actually, I do!!’
 
“We chatted some more and then Joan [Young, Ireland coach] came over to talk to me. We stayed in touch and about six months later, Joan invited me to a training session. I’ve only been over to Ireland twice for training, and played with the girls on just three occasions. I had the chance to play in friendly matches against Northern Ireland in Belfast, and then a weekend playing against the Armed Forces in Portsmouth; but the third time was the Netball Europe tournament in the Isle of Man, where I made my full debut.”
 
It's quite a big deal to fly to train with a group of people, some of whom you’ve met (briefly) once, but the majority you don’t know at all. How did Erin find that experience?
 
“My parents are both from Northern Ireland, as are nearly all my family, so I thought I was used to the accent, but when I first went across, there were a couple of girls I found it quite hard to understand!
 
“Everyone was so friendly though. I got to know them much better the second time I went across when we were in a match situation. Jan [Hynes] took me under her wing; she was lovely. There are also a couple of other English-based girls in the squad, and obviously I knew Billy [Katie Walton] and Genevieve [Slater] from Grangetown, which really helped.
 
“Then I met Fran [Duffy] who was quite close to my age. She was studying at Manchester and has since joined Grangetown too. Everyone’s been great and made me feel so welcome, and that made it much easier when I joined the squad for the Euros.”
 
There must have been nerves before that first game though?
 
“Definitely. I was selected for the opening game against the Cayman Islands and I was really anxious beforehand. I was picked to start at wing attack, and that was a bit of added pressure because if you start at centre, you don’t have to cross the line, you just have to pass the ball; so I was thinking ‘get over the line … second phase…’ and things like that. The girls told me I would be fine; that I knew what I was doing, and I’d relax once the match got underway … but yes, I was very nervous before the game…
 
“We got ready in the changing rooms then there was a pre-warm-up area where we could do some stretches and Niamh [Murphy] and I could discuss tactics. After that we went into the main arena for the warm-up, which was really the time to get rid of any nerves. If you’re going to drop a ball or throw a bad pass, do it in the warm-up then everything should be fine when the game gets underway.”
 
Ireland have traditionally been strong in the attacking mid-court positions. Captain Niamh Murphy led the team at the Euros, and recent squads have also included top-class players such as Kirsty Owens and Trish Fanning, but Erin acquitted herself superbly throughout the tournament. I was interested to know what Erin thought about featuring alongside one of Ireland’s finest ever netballers?
 
“Playing with Niamh is just amazing; she’s obviously very experienced and I feel really confident when I’m on court with her. Even though we’ve not played together very much, I think we combine well and just seem to click whether it’s on the circle edge, centre passes or channels; and she’s great at passing on advice and helping to improve my game.”
 
The next question showed the kind of probing insight that you just don’t get from professional interviewers: Did you ever consider showing off and doing one of your tumbling routines?
 
I reminded Erin of Kadeen Corbin’s famous back flips down the court after England had won Commonwealth gold last year. Erin laughed: “Next time we win, I’ll give Corbin a run for her money!”
 
Remember where you read it first.
 
Reflecting on her first taste of competitive international netball, what was the highlight? “That first game, the first experience; that was definitely the highlight because I didn’t know exactly what to expect…
 
“I thought the team played really well against Emirates too,” Erin continued, “but all the games provided us with new challenges. The Gibraltar match was the hardest; they’d watched our earlier games and were able to stop us playing to our strengths; it was tough, but you can really learn from games like that.”
 
I had managed to watch some of the action on the live stream and the commentators had a lot of positive things to say about the Stockton-based teenager. Was Erin aware of the compliments her performances were receiving?
 
“I had no clue. I don’t think I realised how big the tournament really was until we sat down to dinner on the Thursday night, and the girls told me that what the commentators had been saying. I rang my Mum and told her the games were being streamed, and she tuned in for every match after that - my family in Ireland were watching too. Mum would ring me on an evening to tell me what had been said, and obviously we had to watch some of the games back to review our performances. It was so weird hearing my name, and realising it was me that they were talking about.”
 
Having only played a few minutes in one Prem 1 game, how big was the jump from club to international netball?
 
“From club to country was a massive step,” Erin admitted, “but I’d been lucky enough to be part of the Queen Ethelburga’s squad that had become under 19 schools champions last year – we finished fifth this year – and playing against some of the best netballers in the country in your age group was great preparation for Ireland. The standard is so high and when you’re exposed to all those amazing players, that’s when you start to see if you’ve got the ability to step-up when it really matters.
 
“Although I haven’t really been involved much with the Grangetown Prem squad on matchdays yet, I have been able to train with the squad, which has been brilliant. The training is fantastic and that has also played a big part in being able to manage the transition into the Ireland squad.”
 
So, is the Prem 1 squad one of Erin’s goals?
 
“Of course. I definitely want to try and play Prem. I’m moving to university in Nottingham in September, but the games are on a weekend, so I’ll stay affiliated to Grangetown and hopefully if there’s an opportunity to play Prem 1, that’s something I’d love to do.
 
“I’ve also got the chance to have trials for Loughborough Lightning under 19s and 21s, so I’ll be trying to get involved with a franchise as well; and with Uni, Ireland, Grangetown and hopefully Loughborough, the competition levels will be amazing, and all being well, I’ll be able to keep improving my game. Certainly, if I got into the Prem squad at Grangetown, it would be a big achievement.”
 
Erin’s only appearance for the Prem 1 squad came when she was brought on towards the end of last season’s home fixture against eventual champions Oldham. Marking Erin that day was Laura Malcolm, who played such a major role in Manchester Thunder’s recent Super League Grand Final success. Kerry Almond and Kathryn Turner, both so influential in that final against Wasps, were also on court for Oldham; it’s hard to imagine a much better club side, or a harder introduction.
 
“I didn’t have much court time,” Erin recalled, “I think it was about five minutes, but Gel wanted to give me the experience and it was great. Oldham were top of the league and it was really tough, but it was also good to see just how high the standard was and what I’ve got to aim for.”
 
Back to the Euros and one of the things that stood out was Erin’s pace and movement around the court. Is Erin’s speed her biggest asset?
 
“Yes, it’s definitely my main strength, but I work hard on my stamina too, so I can maintain my speed throughout the whole game and not just for a couple of quarters. I like having a lot of running room, and moving my marker around the court as much as I can. That’s certainly my style of play and I think that when I was playing alongside Fran and Niamh at the Euros, we were able to inject some pace into our attacking play and get the ball down court really quickly.”
 
Erin Peters is clearly a gifted and confident athlete; she is also an outgoing and engaging young woman, who has already achieved so much in the sporting arena; but from a netball perspective, what does the future hold?
 
“I just want to work hard, play as well as I can for Grangetown, Ireland and hopefully Loughborough; and see where all that takes me. I’ll go to the under 19 and under 21 trials at Loughborough, so that I can come up against players that are two or three years older than me. That will give me a good idea of my strengths and the areas that I need to work on. The long-term ambition is Super League, but whatever happens I am so grateful to Grangetown for giving me such a good attitude to the game, and a desire to become the best player I possibly can.”

It was hard to know how to react as the final hooter brought an end not only to Grangetown’s fixture at Leeds Athletic, but also to the club’s first season in Prem 1.
 
The scoreboard read 53-40 in favour of the hosts; a deserved victory for a Leeds side that has been so impressive throughout the second half of the season.
 
Initially, there was an element of disappointment at the result … at the last three results in fact; three consecutive defeats coming after only five losses in the first 15 games of the campaign.
 
There was also a slightly surreal feeling that the season was over – all the preparation, the training, the travelling, and eighteen hugely competitive games – the past six months or so has simply flown by…
 
Then comes the time to reflect.
 
Two successive promotions (including one championship) had seen Grangetown elevated from a very good club, to one of the elite. It was always going to be a massive step, and unsurprisingly the pre-season aspiration was simply to perform well enough to stay in the top flight.
 
The reality was so much better…
 
Only four sides won 10 or more of their 18 fixtures; champions Oldham, runners-up New Cambell and Viper 10 Blades. Three outstanding sides. The fourth?
 
That would be Grangetown.
 
Some sparkling performances at home, and perhaps more importantly on the road, saw Grangetown essentially (albeit not mathematically) safe by Christmas. In a division littered with Super League stars, it was an almost unheralded club from just outside Middlesbrough that surprised many an established Prem 1 squad; and their top-four finish was just reward for the time and effort invested both on and off the court.
 
However, with success comes expectation, and once the reflection is over, the next stage is to focus fully on 2019/20. I have no doubt that plans for next season are already underway, but given the relative remoteness of the club to any Super League franchises, attracting top quality athletes to the north east to complement and enhance an already fine squad is no easy task…
 
But that is the challenge faced by Grangetown if they are to build on the foundations laid over the past three years, and maintain their remarkable progress from relegation to Prem 3 in 2016 to becoming the fourth best club in the country less than three years later.
 
As far as the game at Leeds is concerned, Grangetown started slowly, but showed their customary determination to get back into contention during the second quarter. Unfortunately, their offensive play was less cohesive than usual, possession was turned over on too many occasions, and from being in a situation where they could and should have been on terms, the visitors found themselves six goals adrift and Leeds were playing far too well to relinquish that kind of advantage.
 
My Grangetown Player of the Match was Tuaine Keenan, who produced several moments of pure class in defence, less than 24 hours after helping her Loughborough Lightning side to a dramatic one-goal Super League win over Severn Stars.
 
The most notable cameo came from Nicole Malloy who certainly made an impact when she was given a chance at goal attack. As for the individual moment of the game, that was undoubtedly a sublime interception by Vicky Rees; a wonderful piece of anticipation and athleticism that brought the Grangetown bench to its feet.
 
For Leeds, goal shooter Vanessa Williams was superb from the first minute to the last; she was strong, agile and unerringly accurate throughout. At the other end of the court, Alice Smith looked an outstanding athlete, and had a fine game in defence.
 
For Grangetown, it may have been a result to forget, but for the amazing squad, and everyone involved with the club, the 2018/19 season is one that will live long in the memory.

​Grangetown’s final home fixture in Prem 1 ended in a 50-68 defeat at the hands of Viper 10 Blades.
 
The Blades went into the game in third position, one place and six points ahead of a Grangetown side that had lost just once in six games, but were missing influential wing defence Claudia Heath through injury, and Ash Neal, Brie Grierson and Tuaine Keenan due to Super League commitments.
 
Viper 10 Blades were without a couple of players who had featured for Surrey Storm the previous evening, but travelled north having produced one of the results of the season to defeat New Cambell in their most recent away game.
 
Grangetown Head coach Gel Williams was able to hand a first start to Ireland international Fran Duffy, and she was the pick of a Grangetown side that produced a battling performance, but were beaten by a well-organised Blades squad that capitalised on any errors and shot confidently and accurately throughout the game.
 
Jenny Mrozik and Hannah Raine played from the start and both made telling contributions, as did Sophie McFarlane and Nicole Malloy when brought on from the bench.
 
It is a hard task for a Premier League coach to guarantee consistent opportunities and regular court time, but it says a lot about the depth and spirit within this Grangetown squad that every player can make a positive impact whenever a chance is presented.
 
Grangetown’s home campaign ended with five wins and four defeats, but after a season-opening loss against a strong Academy side, the only teams to have travelled to Grangetown and won are the three above them in the table: Oldham, New Cambell and Viper 10 Blades.
 
To those five home wins, Grangetown have added a further four on their travels. With three further away games still to be played, there is a possibility that the club’s away record could match the results at home, which would a rare and notable achievement at this level.
 
Vicky Rees and Ria Small, captain and vice-captain respectively, have set the highest standards and led by example all season. They will have their sights set on a top-five finish, but whatever happens between now and the end of the campaign, Grangetown have exceeded all expectations and enjoyed an outstanding debut year in the top flight of English club netball.

All photos by Sarah Raine

Alice linked up well with her attacking partner Abbie Le Brocq to reduce the deficit, but Tameside scored again following a perfectly-weighted pass from Dom, which just evaded the onrushing Tuaine Keenan.
 
The teams then traded goals as well as a series of errors, and it took a lovely piece of interplay between Abbie and Alice to hand the former the chance to bring the scores level.
 
Twice Elzabeth Cardwell got a hand to the ball to knock it out of play, but from the second restart, Abbie netted from distance to give Grangetown the lead. Alice cancelled out a goal from Ally, before a sweeping move across court and back resulted in Ally bringing parity to proceedings once again.
 
Brie Grierson’s lovely flighted pass set up Alice for the next goal, but the quarter’s decisive moment came with a brilliant piece of intuitive skill from Tuaine who intercepted a short pass from a feigned shot to secure possession. Alice scored from distance to open up a two-goal lead – an advantage that the home side would not relinquish.
 
Grangetown piled on the defensive pressure to force two more errors, Alice and Abbie finishing off the respective moves and Grangetown led 13-9 at the end of the quarter.
 
It had been an entertaining, but quite tense opening period between two very good sides. Tameside made the better start, but with Grangetown upping their defensive intensity and applying pressure throughout the court, they probably deserved the early advantage.
 
Early in the second period, Beccy set up a chance with an excellent feed, but the shot was missed and quick precise passing from Tuaine, Claudia and Ria Small took play down court, and Abbie scored an important goal against the Tameside centre pass following a penalty awarded inside the circle.
 
Nice movement and interplay between Abbie and Alice was replicated by Beccy and Brogan Slicker for the visitors. In the space of a couple of minutes, Tuaine and Vicky Rees both turned over possession, and with Claudia producing yet another tremendous performance at wing defence, the Tameside attack was briefly blunted.
 
From 16-11 Grangetown quickly took their lead into double figures with good feeds and clinical finishing at one end complementing the outstanding defending at the other.
 
Tameside eventually got back on the scoresheet, after Brogan brilliantly kept the ball in play after an initial shot had bounced off the ring of the net.
 
The visitors scored again after what looked a clear foul on Brie was called the other way, and assured finishes from both Tameside shooters reduced the deficit to seven – the last of those goals coming from a lovely long pass from Kelsie; Brogan making no mistake from the subsequent feed.
 
However, an overthrown pass was gratefully collected by Tuaine; possession was squandered but then superbly reclaimed by Brie who got a hand to a mid-court pass and deflected the ball straight to Claudia.
 
Alice duly converted, but after Beccy and Alice combined nicely to cancel out the goal, Grangetown had the benefit of a fortunate call from the umpire who blew for an off-the-ball foul against Tameside just as a wayward pass was about to hand possession back to the visitors.
 
Grangetown didn’t take advantage though, both shooters choosing to pass when seemingly well-placed to take a shot, and they were made to pay as Tameside turned over the ball, and Brogan netted from Beccy’s feed.
 
Ria’s bullet pass was collected and converted by Abbie, but Brogan scored from long-range to made the score 29-22 as the half-time hooter sounded. The seven-goal advantage meant that Grangetown remained in the ascendency, but Tameside had shown plenty of quality in the opening half an hour, and the result still felt in the balance.
 
Katie Walton came on at goal keeper for the third period, and her first touch was to pluck a pass out of the air to claim a turnover. Tuaine made an interception from Tameside’s next attack, with Abbie scoring from the subsequent passage of play, but nice vision from the increasingly influential Beccy allowed Ally to convert from close-range.
 
Grangetown wasted possession after Katie had claimed a rebound, but the whole team was maintaining their defensive intensity, the result being a three-second call against the visitors. The ball went out of play from the penalty, but Abbie was first to react and a quick exchange with Ria set up another goal.
 
Brie’s long pass then split the defence for Alice to score the first of two quick goals. Katie then forced an error and made another interception, but on both occasions, errors cost Grangetown the chance to further extend their lead.
 
Aurnia Barlow, who had come on at goal shooter for Tameside, scored well under pressure; Beccy’s cleverly-delayed feed handed Tameside another opportunity and three more quick goals brought the difference back to seven.
 
In fact, Tameside missed a golden opportunity to further reduce the arrears, but Tuaine claimed an all-important rebound to hand the initiative back to the home side. From their next possession, Tameside broke quickly out of defence, but the final pass was anticipated by Tuaine who completed an interception that was far more difficult than the Loughborough defender made it look.
 
After Grangetown scored three unanswered goals, Claudia was penalised despite taking what looked like a brilliant mid-air catch, but Katie’s equally superb tip on the resulting shot denied Tameside a goal right on the hooter, and with one period remaining, the home side led by ten - 42-32.
 
Grangetown shuffled their pack for the final quarter, with Vicky returning at centre in place of Ria, Jenny Mrozik coming on at goal defence, Tuaine moving to goal keeper and Katie returning to the bench after a quite sublime cameo.
 
With Brie injecting real pace into the Grangetown attack, the home side gradually drew further ahead. Jenny and Vicky both made a positive impact in the closing minutes and with Grangetown having passed the 50 mark, Fran Duffy was introduced at goal attack.
 
Fran duly opened her account at the first time of asking, but perhaps fittingly, the possession that led to the goal was secured by Claudia and Tuaine, both of whom had been excellent throughout the whole game.
 
The game ended in a 55-40 victory for Grangetown. The margin of victory was perhaps greater than had seemed likely during what had been a closely-contested first half, but hard as Tameside fought, and as well as they played for long periods of the game, they couldn’t match the pace and intensity of a really cohesive Grangetown squad.
 
Ria and Vicky have led by example all season, the attacking pairing of Abbie and Alice is getting stronger with every game, and Brie, as always, made a massive contribution;; but this win was built around the defence, with all the combinations providing a stern test for a quick and mobile Tameside attack, expertly marshalled by Beccy Hoult.
 
Tuaine Keenan was rightly named Player of the Match, and the result strengthens Grangetown’s fourth- position with just five games remaining in what is rapidly becoming a quite remarkable season.

​A bit of a departure today … I could compile a match report in a similar style to those I’ve written for Grangetown’s Prem squad over the past few years; but I honestly don’t think a report would do justice to the performance I saw today from Prem 1 side New Cambell.
 
The bare facts are that New Cambell travelled up from Essex lying second in the division; their solitary defeat coming at the hands of league leaders and reigning champions Oldham. Grangetown were in fifth position with six wins from ten fixtures in their first season at this level.
 
The final score was Grangetown 30, New Cambell 77.
 
Although it clearly had some bearing on the score, but almost certainly not the result, Grangetown were without their three Super League players, whilst New Cambell fielded five of the current Saracens Mavericks squad: Steph Collard, Michelle Drayne, Lindsay Keable, Georgia Lees and Paige McCalla.
 
Maybe there were other current Super League players within the 11-strong squad that travelled north … to be honest after vising the Mavericks website, I felt I’d searched enough!
 
Before I return to New Cambell, I have to say that Grangetown battled so hard for the entire match. Yes, they were outclassed on the day, but results like this were always possible during the club’s first ever year in Prem 1. The two things to bear in mind are firstly, the Grangetown heads never dropped, even though the outcome was decided very early on in proceedings; and secondly, this performance and result shouldn’t be taken in isolation.
 
After 11 games, Grangetown have six victories – including memorable away wins at Tameside and Academy. What this squad has achieved is already well beyond all realistic expectations; they have all but secured their Prem 1 status for next year, and with most squads certain to be affected by Super League commitments, more positive results are likely over the remaining seven fixtures.
 
Grangetown are in Prem 1 on merit. They have grown to be one of the top ten netball clubs in the country, and have already proved that they can compete with the very best – and nothing that happened today changes that…
 
It is to my eternal shame that I didn’t know the higher-profile New Cambell players by sight. I really should have learned my lesson right at the start of the season when Academy and Loughborough Lightning defender Vicki Oyesola had to introduce herself when we spoke after the match….
 
New Cambell were simply superb throughout the court, some of their individual play was breath-taking at times, and their collective performance was the best I’ve ever seen against Grangetown, but for me two players stood out.
 
During the first half, the New Cambell wing attack was at the heart of much of the visitors best attacking moves. At the end of the match, I took a look at the line-ups … wing attack … first half … Georgia Lees.
 
Not the Georgia Lees who won two Grand Finals with Surrey Storm..?
 
Yes, that Georgia Lees.
 
But with nothing less than total respect to Georgia and her team mates, the Grangetown players, coaching staff and spectators were treated to something very special in the second half.
 
Playing at goal defence, then goal keeper was a young lady (I believe she is 16-years old) called Funmi Fadoju. Again, I can only apologise for not being aware of her before the game … but it transpires that Funmi is an England under-17 international and one of the most outstanding athletes of her age that I have seen in any sport.
 
Until today, the best defender I had seen at Grangetown was Sam Cook of Hucclecote (and Severn Stars); but even to my untrained eye, Funmi is destined for great things in the sport. She was lightning quick, with great spring to go with her speed; but it was her ability to read the game that really stood out.
 
I lost count of the number of interceptions she made – it was a pleasure to see her on court and if (and when) she becomes a household name, I will be able to say “I was there” when Funmi Fadoju played at Grangetown.
 
My Grangetown Player of the Match: Claudia Heath

Today’s victory against Leeds Athletic was not only Grangetown’s final home game of 2018, it also marked the midway point of the club’s inaugural season in Premier League division 1.
 
With local MP Anna Turley watching from the sidelines, Grangetown took the first possible opportunity to bounce back from the previous weekend’s heavy defeat against league leaders Oldham, by recording a 54-44 success over a Leeds side that has won just one fixture so far this season.
 
The London Pulse Super League duo of Ash Neal and Brie Grierson both returned to the Grangetown squad, and Ireland international defender Genevieve Slater was also available. The home side’s starting seven was:
 
GK: Jenny Mrozik
GD: Gen Slater
WD: Claudia Heath
C: Vicky Rees (c)
WA: Ria Small
GA: Ash Neal
GS: Abbie Le Brocq
 
Grangetown led 16-9 at the end of the first quarter. The feature of the opening fifteen minutes was the level of pressure exerted by the Grangetown defence, which forced a number of errors, but also saw a superb interception by Claudia Heath, followed by a lightning quick transition down the court, with Ria Small feeding Ash Neal for an outstanding goal.
 
The final goal of the period came in similar fashion, with Gen Slater claiming her second interception in as many minutes before Abbie Le Brocq converted from distance.
 
The advantage had been extended to 13 goals by half time, with Grangetown producing some brilliant passages of play right throughout the court. Three goals stood out. Firstly, Ria’s fine long pass beat the entire Leeds defence to find Ash totally free under the post.
 
Ria then lost the ball on the edge of the circle, only for it to bounce back towards her. As the defenders moved towards her, Ria was able to lean forward, grab the ball, keep her balance and flick a pass to the unmarked Abbie.
 
Finally, Jenny Mrozik’s leaping interception was gathered by Gen Slater, the fast, but precise passage of play through the court ended with Abbie scoring a goal that brought the Grangetown bench to their feet.
 
The scoreline was 32-19 in Grangetown’s favour as the hooter sounded, but it had been far from one-way traffic. Leeds defender Alice Smith was a constant thorn in the side of the Grangetown attack, and Annie James, who played at goal attack for the opening thirty minutes, was both composed and accurate under the net.
 
Katie Walton and Brie Grierson were introduced for the second half, but it was the visitors who made the best start, scoring six unanswered goals. Grangetown maintained the defensive pressure, but Leeds played with patience and no little assurance, and it was a relief when Ash finally got Grangetown back on the scoreboard.
 
Grangetown rallied and led 41-31 at three-quarter time, but Leeds had deservedly won the period, with Georgia Pexton injecting some real pace and energy at wing attack. For Grangetown, Claudia remained prominent at wing defence, but the highlight of the quarter was Katie Walton’s tremendous mid-air interception, which led to Ash converting the subsequent scoring opportunity.
 
Leeds kept battling throughout the final quarter, narrowing the gap to just six goals at one stage, but the result was realistically never in doubt, and the 10-goal advantage had been restored by the time the final hooter sounded; the scoreboard reading 54-44.
 
After the game, there was a sense that the victory wasn’t as emphatic as it could or should have been. It says a lot for how far this Grangetown squad has progressed that a Prem 1 victory can be tinged with a hint of disappointment. Credit should also be given to Leeds, who were arguably the better side in the second half.
 
The fact is that after nine matches in the top flight of English club netball, Grangetown now have five wins. This is an outstanding achievement for Vicky Rees and her squad, who have not only gone a long way to guaranteeing their top-flight status for next season, but have played some brilliant netball along the way, and even taken the opportunity to allow several of the club’s most talented youngsters to showcase their talents against some of the best players in the country.
 
For the record, my Player of the Match was Claudia Heath, who produced her best Grangetown performance against her former club, with the official award going to Gen Slater for a fine game at the heart of the home defence.

Grangetown played host to the reigning champions and unbeaten league leaders Oldham in round 8 of the Prem 1 season.
 
The Grangetown squad had produced several outstanding performances to win four of their opening seven fixtures, results which had taken the club to fourth position in the table; but Oldham represented Grangetown’s biggest challenge since gaining promotion to the top flight of English club netball.
 
The visiting squad was full of players with Super League experience, including Taylor Cullen, who will be linking up with Grangetown’s Ash Neal and Brie Grierson at London Pulse; and Laura Malcolm, the former England international, who has re-joined Manchester Thunder from Severn Stars, but who has also visited Grangetown on a couple of recent occasions to run coaching sessions for the club’s youngsters.
 
In contrast, the home side were without Ireland defender Genevieve Slater, as well as their three Super League players, Ash, Brie, and new Loughborough Lightning recruit, Tuaine Keenan.
 
“We have three home games in a row,” explained Head Coach Gel Williams, “but our home matches are effectively away fixtures for these three girls. Of course, they’ve been instrumental in us having such an amazing start to the season, but their Super League commitments are only going to increase, and I have to make sure that the other members of the squad have a chance to show what they can do at this level. And how often will they be able to go out on court against the best team in the country?”
 
Harriet Baxter and Erin Peters were brought into the Prem 1 squad for the first time, Harriet having been a regular member of the squad that gained promotion, and Erin earning her place after making her debut for Ireland in the recent friendly against Scotland A.
 
The starting sevens were as follows:
 
                        Katie Walton       GK      Kerry Almond
                       Jenny Mrozik       GD      Abby Tyrrell
                     Claudia Heath       WD      Laura Malcolm
                          Vicky Rees        C        Maria McAndrew
                             Ria Small      WA       Amelia Hall
                   Abbie Le Brocq       GA       Kathryn Turner
                          Alice Currie      GS       Amy Clinton
 
The opening six goals were shared, Kerry Almond claiming the first of a number of interceptions for the visitors, and Alice Currie showing commendable strength to gather and convert two rebounds.
 
An excellent read from Laura Malcolm saw her pick off a pass and feed Maria McAndrew, who looped the ball to Amy Clinton for an important goal against the Grangetown centre pass.
 
Both sides were making mistakes and there were four turnovers before the next goal was scored by Kathryn Turner. Vicky Rees sent a lovely pass into the circle, but the shot was unsuccessful; and Maria immediately set up Amy to punish the home side for the miss.
 
Maria and Amy then exchanged four short quick passes, before the tall left-handed shooter netted again, but at the other end Alice showed great strength under pressure to hold onto possession and score with a looping shot.
 
Kerry’s second interception of the quarter set up another Oldham attack. The visitors were playing with pace and width and inside the circle, both shooters looked assured. The resulting goal made it 6-11, and two passes later it was 6-12, as Oldham began to take control of the game.
 
Twice Ria Small found Alice to score, but Laura brilliantly palmed down Ria’s next pass to secure a turnover. Jenny Mrozik was unlucky to be penalised for an almost identical play, but Kathryn took full advantage to further extend Oldham’s lead, which was eight goals at the end of the first quarter.
 
Both sides made changes, with Hannah Raine being introduced for Grangetown, and Taylor Cullen coming onto court for Oldham.
 
An Oldham defender tapped the ball out of play under no pressure, but from the restart, the shot was missed, Oldham regathered the ball and a nice take from Amy saw the visitors score the second of what would be eight unanswered goals.
 
The pace of Oldham’s transitions down court was visibly increasing and, well as Grangetown were defending, the visiting attack, marshalled by Laura and Maria was irresistible at times. It took a nicely delayed pass from Abbie Le Brocq to Alice to finally get Grangetown on the scoreboard in the second quarter, but more great work from Kerry, who intercepted a sideline pass, helped to set up another opportunity.
 
Grangetown’s attackers were working really hard to try and create space, whereas Laura was prominent in much of Oldham’s best work; another interception followed by a nonchalant overhead pass were touches of real class.
 
Kerry and Taylor both got a hand to passes, but the ball twice bounced back to Grangetown. Cathy Hewitt (who had replaced Abbie) netted, but the goal was cancelled out in a matter of seconds as Laura’s pass found Amy totally free under the net.
 
Claudia Heath looked to have claimed a great intercept, but play was brought back for a penalty to the visitors. The hooter sounded, with the scoreboard reading 17-34 in favour of a visiting side who had combined relentless defensive pressure with fluid, exciting attacking play.
 
The result was already beyond doubt, but Oldham were in no mood to relax, and opened the second half with twelve successive goals. One passage of play seemed to sum up this period of the game. Jenny Mrozik did well to complete a turnover, only for the ball to be lost in mid-court. Hannah Raine reclaimed possession, but Oldham immediately intercepted, and the goal almost inevitably followed.
 
Kerry’s excellent game at goal keeper continued as she pressured Cathy Hewitt into passing when a shot looked possible; the intention was read, the pass intercepted, and Oldham were back on the attack.
 
Offensively, Ria and Alice had been Grangetown’s best combination and they brought a halt to Oldham’s run of goals. Claudia was again unfortunate when another interception was denied by the umpire’s whistle; this time for a replayed ball. However, Grangetown did score next, as Ria fed Nicole Molloy, who delayed her looped pass just long enough for the defender to commit, leaving Alice with a straightforward shot from under the net.
 
An overarm pass from Ria to Alice took Grangetown to 20, although by then, the visitors had already passed their half century.
 
At the opposite end of the court, Amy didn’t even set her next shot, just lobbed it in one-handed. Alice replied, and Nicole’s shot gave Grangetown a rare goal against the Oldham centre pass.
 
Despite the game being over as a contest, there was plenty of commitment from both sides. In fact, the game occasionally became quite physical; Vicky was pushed, potentially dangerously, whilst in mid-air; and moments later, Hannah was barged off the ball – both incidents going unpunished.
 
There was just time for Nicole to net twice before the end of the period; the first goal was nicely taken after Abby Tyrrell, who had been excellent at goal defence, moved to her right anticipating a pass across the circle. In that moment, Nicole chose to shoot and although the shot was rushed, it found the net.
 
Harriet Baxter was brought on for the final fifteen minutes, and her first involvement was to collect a long pass and feed the returning Abbie Le Brocq to score. Unfortunately, by that time, Oldham had already added seven more goals to their total.
 
The visitors took the opportunity to try a number of different combinations, all of which looked to be effective. Certainly, the changes didn’t affect the pace of the game, but to Grangetown’s credit, they stuck to their task, with the experienced mid-court duo of Ria and Vicky setting a fine example. In fact, it was Vicky who turned over possession by getting a hand to an Oldham pass; Abbie converted, and netted again with a long-range effort soon after.
 
Laura had returned for Oldham at wing attack, her third different position, and she got a strong hand to a pass at marker to secure the ball. Amy netted – two handed this time, after her previous one-handed effort had bounced away off the ring.
 
Emily Whitehead played the second half at centre for the visitors and she showed great awareness to flick the ball to Amelia Hall, who feinted to shoot before feeding Amy who netted. Emily’s next contribution was a long pass down the right, which was well-taken by Laura, who instantly passed inside to Amy, whose shooting accuracy remained of the highest standard throughout.
 
There was just time for Erin Peters to make her Grangetown Prem 1 debut … although she was handed the unenviable task of playing against Laura Malcolm for the game’s closing minutes.
 
The final score was 35-76 in favour of the league leaders. They are obviously a fine side, and even though they were rarely tested by a Grangetown squad that remains inexperienced at this level, Oldham didn’t let their standards drop, and when you have players as good as Emily Whitehead and Taylor Cullen starting on the bench, you are going to give any side the sternest of challenges.
 
For Grangetown, the size of the defeat might be disappointing, but it was a great opportunity for the younger players to test themselves against the best that English club netball has to offer; and the coaching team will have learned a lot from the game as well. The fact remains that the aim of this season is to retain Prem 1 status, and very few would have predicted a 50%-win ratio after the first eight games.
 
Grangetown’s official player of the match was Alice Currie, although my vote went to Ria Small. For Oldham, Laura Malcolm was pure class, Maria McAndrew had a brilliant first half, and both shooters were superb. However, for her reading of the game and consistent ability to turnover possession, my choice for overall player of the match would be Kerry Almond.