We’ve now reached the halfway point of this season’s Carlisle Netball Winter League and have our round six games under our belts too. Since our last update following round two, there’s a lot to catch up on!
PENRITH SWIFTS
Rounds 3, 4 and 5 saw the Swifts take on Meerkats 4, Mavericks, and Stewartry. The first two matches resulted in convincing wins for the Penrith side, who led each game early doors and continued to build upon it right until the final whistle.
Round 5, however, brought the Swifts their first defeat of the season so far as they faced off against a so-far undefeated Stewartry team. A slow start in this game gave the Scottish side an early lead, and despite a huge fourth-quarter effort, it wasn’t quite enough.
Round Scores/PoM
- Round 3: Swifts v Meerkats 4 – WIN (38 – 20), PoM: Katie Blackburn
- Round 4: Swifts v Mavericks – WIN (43 – 27), PoM: Katie Blackburn
- Round 5: Swifts v Stewartry – LOSS (43 – 30), PoM: Charlotte Ecroyd
PENRITH LAKERS
The Lakers had a mixed experience in rounds 3-5 of this season’s competition. Their Stewartry game in mid-November brought a strong start which sadly abated in the second quarter against a tough opponent, and a lack of momentum in the match against Meerkats 4 was not at all reflective of the abilities in this team.
The Meerkats 3 game in round five was much more in keeping with the Lakers’ skills, and despite ending in a tight three-goal loss, there were multiple points at which Lakers overtook on the scoreboard. At their next meeting in round ten, it is likely this result will flip and give Lakers a well-earned win.
Round Scores/PoM
- Round 3: Lakers v Stewartry – LOSS (27 – 10), PoM: Lucy Peile
- Round 4: Lakers v Meerkats 4 – LOSS (7 – 29), PoM: Lucy Peile
- Round 5: Lakers v Meerkats 3 – LOSS (25 – 28), PoM: Katy Aris
ROUND SIX: SWIFTS v LAKERS
The most recent match on 10th January brought the two Penrith teams head-to-head again, and as per usual it was a cracker game. At their last meeting in October 2023, Lakers took the early lead, only to be overtaken in the final half, but a different story was told this time around.
Swifts started well and maintained a very close winning margin through to the final whistle. Lakers didn’t make it an easy job for them by any means, and fought every step of the way, equalising at various points throughout the game.
Final score: Swifts 35 – Lakers 31
- Swifts PoM: Victoria Baker
- Lakers PoM: Lucy Peile
