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Saturday saw Top Corner’s 5^th annual Netball Champions Cup tournament.  The day was enjoyedby all, with a very high standard of netball played in good spirit and I want to congratulate eachteam and thank you for taking part.  All teams arrived on time and surprisingly in the right location as we had suspected we might have some stragglers at last year’s venue Southwark!

This year’s participants were as follows:

Group A

• FeeLions- Vauxhall Tuesday Division 1 Winners
• FFW- Liverpool Street Thursday Winners
• Hornbags- Brixton Division 1 Runners Up
• Midgets and Monsters- Vauxhall Wednesday Division 1 Runners Up
• Old Tiffinians- Oval Division 1 Winners
• Sweet FA- Southwark Division 1 Runners Up

Group B

• 42 Below- Vauxhall Thursday Winners
• Eye of the Tiger- Oval Division 1 Winners
• Flaming Galahs- Defending Champions
• LSE Economicals- Liverpool Street Monday Winners
• Rock N Roll- Euston Division 1 Runners Up
• Newer Generation- Brixton Division 1 Winners

All teams played each other once in their group and games were played in 2 halves of 7 minutes. The short nature of these games lent itself to high-octane netball with teams adopting a high-risk approach to gain maximum yield. Teams tended to press the ball high up the court to secure possession and left themselves vulnerable to opponents who were dynamic in their movement and swift in their distribution of the netball. It became apparent that the group stages would be as much a test of character as an outright indicator of ability; thus it would become hard to predict the outcome of any given game. Successful teams also showed an ability to read the game quickly and make the necessary adjustments during the intervals.

The weather would also contribute greatly to the pace of the games with the sun appearing briefly but lacking the conviction to usher away the stubborn clouds and warm the courts. Given the chill conditions competitors seemed determined to play at a frenetic pace and avoid any cool-down during breaks. As a result the minute’s half-time interval was in actuality a matter of seconds whilst new games began as quickly as the umpires could submit their results and get the whistle blown once more.

Proceedings got underway promptly at 11am with all eyes keenly trained on the courts to see if these first games would reveal anyone as early front-runners or set the tone of the games to follow. Fee-Lions started strongly besting FFW 20-9 while on court 2 42 Below edged out Oval division 1 champions Eye of the Tiger in a tightly contested encounter.  The much fancied Old Tiffinians (with only 6 players present) then suffered a credible, narrow defeat at the hands of Sweet FA in an intriguing encounter.  By the time the teams had played twice it was clear that anyone bold enough to predict the outcome of games would find themselves scratching their heads. As Jen shuttled results back for Bayo to update the standings, the scores constantly defied expectation. Nobody wanted to talk about goal difference but Bayo began to look for a calculator…

On court 2 reigning champions Flaming Galahs dropped points in their second game to the impressive 42 Below who overturned a 4 goal half-time deficit to emerge 8-7 victors while on the adjacent court the Liz White’s  Fee-Lions tasted their first defeat to erstwhile Brixtonians Hornbags. Current Brixton champions Newer Generation began to find their rhythm and inflicted a successive negative result on the Galahs.

As the group begun to take meaningful shape Rock N Roll were turning a few heads with intensity and control of their performances while 42 Below continued to impress, adapting to overcome whatever challenge was put before them whilst in phases playing some really outstanding netball. Galahs and Eye of the Tiger clearly had the players to beat anyone but perhaps struggled with the pace and pressure of such a strong group where no mistake would go unpunished. Behind them Newer Generation proved stubborn opposition for anyone and finally began to show an offensive flair that at times belied their dogged defence of the D. Group B leaders 42 Below and Rock N Roll would meet in an absorbing tie that 42s would eventually shade to go through as group winners. Eye of the Tiger finished strongly but were unable to make enough ground as group leaders kept up the pace.

The other side of the draw was no less enthralling with the leaders of group A beginning to assume the form of champions-in-waiting with every positive result seeming to yield some further clue as to qualities that would be required to go the distance.  From the onset Sweet FA and Midgets & Monsters set a relentless pace and by lunchtime Midgets & Monsters had swept all before them. Below them the remainder of the group struggled to make an impact as all everyone seemed to take points off one another. The quality of the netball on display was impressive and margins fine. It almost seemed unjust that only two teams would progress to the knockout stages. Matters in group A were settled slightly earlier than B as Midgets & Monsters found themselves in an unassailable lead coming into their last fixture. All eyes were on the Runners up position, as Sweet FA and Fee-Lions vied for a position in the semis. It looked as if Fee-Lions had done enough to secure safe passage into the final four when they overcame Old Tiffinans in their final game however Sweet FA showed great character in picking themselves up and upsetting Midgets & Monsters to clinch their place.

After 5 tough matches each, the group stages were over. It was an afternoon full of action and without a serious accident to report until the unfortunate Sarah Barrand of Hornbags landed awkwardly on her ankle. She was taken off court and an ambulance was called- luckily there was no break and we wish Sarah a speedy recovery! With group matters resolved many-a-team congregated around the score-board to see where they placed and reflect on an exciting afternoons competition. It was a testament to the level of competition and camaraderie that so many teams chose to stay and watch the headline fixtures…

Semi-Finals

Court 1- Midgets and Monsters Vs Rock N Roll. Rock N Roll played a strong first half with a 6-3 lead at half time.  The Midgets and Monsters came back fighting in the second half but Rock N Roll continued to play consistently well as they had done all day to win the semis 11-5.

Court 2- 42 Below Vs Sweet FA. This was a very close game with a goal for goal pattern emerging.   At half time the score was a very tense 6-6.  Just as the umpires were about to consider extra time, Sweet FA intercepted 42 Below’s ball in the last quarter to take a 14-12 win and a place in the final.

Final

Rock N Roll Vs Sweet FA. This was set to be a great final.  Both teams had only lost 1 game all day and were not going to give up without a fight.  The teams fought hard for each ball and were feeding well into the circle and the shooters were on fire.  Rock N Roll broke away in the first half keeping a 5-6 goal lead and finishing the first half at 12-6.  In the second half Sweet FA’s defence were hot on their heels but Rock N Roll’s dynamic movement around the court and accurate passing was enough to keep possession and carry them through to a comfortable 15-9  win.  An excellent match to watch ladies, well done.

It’s a credit to all involved that the tournament remained so absorbing right until to conclusion. One particular result seems to stand out as an exemplar to the level of competition all day… FFW were unable to progress beyond the group yet held eventual finalists Sweet FA to a draw. The margins between success and failure were paper-thin and many teams can count themselves unlucky that their outstanding effort was not better reflected in the final standings.

A number of individuals did manage to distinguish themselves throughout the course of the day and deserve due recognition. Ceinwein Wilson (Flaming Galahs), Daisy Upton (Sweet FA) and Chrissy Fitzgerald (Rock N Roll) all put in a string of impressive displays and were duly recognised as the standout players in their games twice each. Donna Sheenan (Rock N Roll) deservedly receives our Player of the Tournament award for a number of decisive shooting performances helping lead her team all the way to the title.

With matters now finally resolved our umpires could make their way to home eager to rest weary limbs after an exhausting day’s schedule. All were in agreement that the standard and spirit of the tournament were excellent. I would reiterate that sentiment and say it was a pleasure to be involved with so many fantastic teams and pleasant individuals. Special thanks to Jennie Hart, Bayo Obasaju, Mona Braithwaite, Velma Peart, Carleen Schultz, Syvlia Jordan and Cassie Austin-McKenzie who did so much to ensure the day ran on-time and without hitch. The full gallery can be viewed in the slideshow below.

The days full results are below as follows:

Group A

Group B

Group A Results

Group B Results

Semi Finals

Finals

Previous Winners