Penrith 1 Toppled by Meerkats in Round Eight
As we near the end of this year’s Summer League, the matches are starting to ramp up in equal measure. Such was the case on Tuesday night when Penrith 1s took on Meerkats 1 in round eight. Meerkats 1 are a Division I side in the Winter League, so it was always going to be an uphill battle for Penrith; they put in an enormous effort nonetheless to end with a score of 55 – 39 to Meerkats 1. Goal-scoring in this game ebbed and flowed, with some coming in quick succession and others taking some time to reach the goal circle. It was also a very physical game, especially in the first quarter, as Meerkats tried to establish dominance against a Penrith side that weren’t for budging! A notable improvement for Penrith 1s was their ability to implement a change of pace as they moved through court, avoiding being lulled into the quick game set by Meerkats. The handicaps applied were in Penrith’s favour by 20 goals at the start of the game, and despite the obvious skill of Meerkats, it took until the third quarter for them to match Penrith’s score – a testament to the hard work put in by the Division II side. Congratulations are extended to Victoria Baker, who was voted Penrith’s Player of the Match, as well as Meerkats 1 Player of the Match, Stuart Nattrass. Thanks are also given to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 1 will be on court again on Tuesday 26th July when they face Stewartry in Round 10.
Penrith 2 Fall Against Division I Meerkats
It was always due to be a tough match for Penrith 2s against Division I side, Meerkats 2, and coupled with a number of Covid-related absences, it was touch-and-go as to whether Penrith could field a team! Thankfully, they could and the match went ahead, ending on a final score of 56 – 31 to Meerkats 2. The Penrith side put up an extraordinary effort in the first half of the game, keeping the score in their favour, helped along by their handicap advantage of 12. Meerkats 2 brought the heat in the second half and powered through their deficit, hitting double figures in both the third and fourth quarters whilst keeping Penrith 2s to the low single figures. The quick play and insane interceptions on the part of the Meerkats were hard for Penrith to keep up with but provided a great number of talking and training points for the future. Congratulations are extended to Nichola Jackson, who was voted Penrith’s Player of the Match, as well as Meerkats 2 Player of the Match, Bear Grey. Thanks are also given to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 2 will be on court again on Tuesday 19th July when they face Div I side, Meerkats 1 in round nine of the league.
Penrith 1 Lose Out to Mavericks in Round Six
It was one of the most hard-fought matches of Penrith 1’s Summer season thus far on Tuesday night when they faced off with Division II fellows, Mavericks. The final score settled on 50 – 53 to Mavericks, with Penrith 1s starting on a deficit of four goals under the handicaps rules Mavericks took off to a flying start, landing a win in the first quarter of eight goals to nine over Penrith 1s. The tide swiftly turned though, and Penrith took both the second and third quarters back-to-back. Throughout these, and all, quarters though, the score line was up and down, to and fro, between the two teams as they vied for the lead. There were numerous unforced errors at the beginning on both sides which were soon grown out of, although the inevitable contact calls against Penrith were notable in the third quarter especially as the defending duo of Edmondson and Tyson attempted to shut down the rangey Mavericks GS. Mavericks continued to push heavily in the fourth and final quarter, keeping Penrith’s goals to only three, compared to their eight. It was enough to tip them back over the edge to take the victory, and it must be said it was well-earned! Congratulations are extended to Freya Jamieson-Smith, who was voted Penrith’s Player of the Match for the third(!) week in a row, as well as Mavericks Player of the Match, Re Barnard. Thanks are also given to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 1 will be on court again on Tuesday 12th July when they face Div I side, Meerkats 1 in round eight of the league.
Penrith 1s take Round Five Win
Penrith 1’s 54–34 victory against Harraby 2 marks the second win for a Penrith team against this Carlisle-based side. Penrith 2s beat them back in round two, and now it was the 1s’ time to shine. They flew off to a cracking start, sinking eight goals to Harraby’s one in the first quarter alone, and winning or drawing every quarter subsequently. The first half could be described as slightly messy as both teams settled; however, Penrith were able to force several three-second calls which made up for the interceptions that Harraby were able to take. In the second half, Penrith were playing with much more confidence, and movement of the ball down-court was sure and steady. It was around the same time that Harraby really stepped up their game and pushed Penrith to work for everything, especially in the third quarter which ended with an 8-8 draw. The fourth quarter brough somewhat slower play as tiredness began to kick in. Penrith were still able to put in a winning performance however, even if they logged the lowest number of goals per quarter, hitting seven compared to Harraby’s three. Overall, it was a decent performance from the 10-strong squad for the evening, but there are still points that need to be worked on for next week’s game. Congratulations are extended to Freya Jamieson-Smith, who was voted Penrith’s Player of the Match for the second week in a row. Thanks are also given to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 1 will be on court again on Tuesday 28th June when they face Div II comrades, Mavericks in round six of the league.
Disappointment for Penrith in Round Four Double Header
For the first, and only, time in this Summer Handicap League, the two Penrith teams played back-to-back matches at Harraby on Tuesday evening. Despite the excitement and extra support this gave to each team, they weren’t able to clinch the wins this week. The first game saw Penrith 1 take on Division I, Harraby 1s with the final score settling 60 – 49 in Harraby’s favour. It was always going to be a tough match for Penrith as they faced off with strong opposition and although the final score line may not fully reflect it, Penrith 1s did put in a solid effort and kept a couple of quarters tight, most notably in the fourth quarter where they finished 13 – 11 to Harraby. Their quick through-court play was too speedy for Penrith, who certainly built into the game as it progressed. Penrith 2 also faced an uphill battle in their match against Stewartry, Division II winners in the previous Winter Season. Their match ended 32 – 59 to Stewartry, and in each quarter, Penrith was kept to single-figure scores. There were a number of unforced errors on Penrith 2s’ part, including that classic coach-killer – footwork. Like Harraby, Stewartry also kept their game quick, which the relatively untested Penrith 2 line-up couldn’t match. There were lots of points for coaches to take away and work on in the coming weeks before the next match though! Congratulations are extended to the two Penrith Players of the Match, Freya Jamieson-Smith (Penrith 1) and Sarah Addison (Penrith 2), as well as opposing Players of the Match, Lisa Carruthers (Harraby 1) and Nadia Baines (Stewartry). Thanks are also given to our umpires for the evening. Penrith 1 is on-court again next week as they face Harraby 2, and Penrith 2 will return to court in July in round seven, where their opponents will be Meerkats 2.
Penrith 2s Take Back-to-Back Wins
Penrith 2s stormed to a 52-36 victory on Tuesday evening as they faced off with Division II comrades, Mavericks Netball. The application of handicaps in this Summer League dealt Penrith 2s a four-goal deficit before the first whistle blew, but this was quashed in the opening quarter, thanks to a strong defensive performance and solid shooting. The first half saw Penrith move steadily away, putting ever more distance between them and Mavericks, who barely saw the ball in their goal circle. Whilst Penrith 2s put away a total of 14 goals in the first half, Mavericks scored five. There were some notable errors on Penrith’s part though. A handful of footwork and obstruction calls peppered the two starting quarters which needed to be addressed and noted for future matches. The third quarter saw two fresh faces leave the subs bench and take to the court, which clearly gave the team a lift. They handed their opponents a tough hand and staved off any and all attempts by Mavericks to take even a single goal. Penrith scored 12 in this same timeframe. The fourth quarter was more sedate across the board which may have helped Mavericks take the 6-7 quarter win. Clawing back this one goal made very little difference to the rift that Penrith 2s had already developed in the previous three quarters, however, and the game ended on 52-36. Without factoring in the handicaps of 20 and 24 given to Penrith 2s and Mavericks respectively, this game would have finished 32-12 with Penrith as resounding victors. The whole team should be very proud of their achievements tonight! Congratulations are extended to the Players of the Match, Kirsty Yates (Penrith 2) and Emma (Mavericks), as well as thanks to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 2 will be on court again on Tuesday 14th June when they face Div II winners, Stewartry in round four of the league. Their match will be preceded by Penrith 1s’ second match where they’ll take on Harraby 1s.
Penrith 2s Give Defensive Masterclass in Summer Debut
This week brought Penrith 2’s Summer League debut, and what a cracker it was! The team began with a four-goal lead against their opponent, Harraby 2, but grafted hard to extend that advantage and land a 44-31 victory by the time the final whistle blew. Penrith took the wins in each quarter, keeping Harraby 2s to only one goal scored in the third! It would be fair to say that both sides had a messy start, with numerous unforced errors and ‘coach killers’ plaguing the teams. This was drastically improved as the game pushed on. Shooting eyes were most definitely ‘in’ at Penrith’s scoring ends, and props must go to the Jackson/Aris duo who worked well together to make the most of each ball. It was, however, in the mid-court and defensive end that Penrith really shone this evening. The turnover rates were high and Harraby came up against a solid barrier of Penrith opposition as they moved downcourt. Both Addison and Yates put in a sterling effort in the circle, keeping their opposing GA and GS away from the goal and forcing a number of errors on Harraby’s part. The mid-court efforts of Chamberlain, Richardson, Scoffham and Woof were also outstanding and well worth a mention. Each and every player on the court this evening fulfilled their role to a ‘T’ and put in maximum effort – it clearly paid off considering the final score. Congratulations are extended to this evening’s Players of the Match, Sarah Richardson (Penrith 2) and Tyler Johnston Graham (Harraby 2), as well as thanks to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 2 will be on court again next week (Tuesday 7th June) when they face Mavericks in the next round. Tuesday 14th will see Penrith 1 continue their campaign with a Harraby 1 match-up.
Summer League Opens with a Sizzler
Penrith Netball came away with a 44 – 42 victory over Meerkats 2 in the first round of the new Summer League, building upon their successes in the previous winter competition. This new handicap league brings together teams from both Division I and II of the Carlisle Netball League for two full months of stellar netball, and this time Penrith have two teams entering the fray. This starting match-up was hard-fought for Penrith 1s as they faced up with Meerkats 2, a Division I side. Despite this, the Penrith team consistently led in the first half of the game, even if the handicap was removed. The tried-and-tested Blackburn/Holme shooting duo led the charge in the first quarter which ended 32-17 in Penrith’s favour, but mention should most definitely be made of the mid-courters who put in a tremendous effort to keep up with the quick-moving Meerkats game. The second half of the game moved slower, and Penrith did begin to tire. They preserved all the same to cling on to the lead at three-quarter time (score of 43-33) but the fourth quarter was the real nailbiter! Meerkats pushed for every ball to keep Penrith to only one goal scored in the last 11 minutes whilst they netted nine. Sadly, it was not quite enough and Penrith beat the buzzer to take the overall victory. This match also saw the first outing for new league players for Penrith, Nat Edmondson and Jo Richards, who gave it their all and played a key part in the Penrith win. Congratulations are extended to the Players of the Match, Cara Watson (Penrith 1) and Amy Alcock (Meerkats 2), as well as thanks to the umpires for the evening. Penrith 1 will be on court again on Tuesday 14th June when they face Harraby 1 in the next round of the summer handicap league. Next week sees Penrith 2 begin their summer campaign with a Harraby 2 match-up.
Penrith Seniors Finish Winter League on a High
Penrith Netball’s Senior team ended their winter league performance on a high note on Tuesday with a convincing 25-37 victory against the Carlisle-based Mavericks. A flurry of back-to-back Penrith goals in the first quarter gave them a strong lead straight off the bat which they further built upon throughout the game. The first quarter-time score of 6-13 to Penrith was a testament to the good work of the attacking players and the Blackburn/Holme shooting combo. The second and third quarters saw the defence come into their own, keeping Mavericks to a total of eight goals over the two quarters, whilst Penrith took the turnovers and landed a total of 18 over the same period. Kudos must be given to Mavericks for their strong fourth quarter performance which saw them take a 6-11 win, taking and converting multiple turnovers back-to-back. The final league results are yet to be published by the league’s committee, but this new Penrith team should be very proud of their efforts across these past five months. They have taken six wins from nine matches, the tenth (in round three) was not played due to COVID concerns, which should place them in a strong position as they wrap up the winter league. Congratulations are extended to Mavericks’ Player of the Match, Fiona Reed, as well as Penrith’s own Player of the Match, Eve Jenkinson. Our thanks also go to the umpires for the evening.
Victory in Round Nine for Penrith Seniors
The last time Penrith met with Harraby 3s they won, but it was hard. This evening’s match was no different and Harraby 3s well and truly fought at every step. At the final whistle though, it was Penrith that came out with the victory once again with a score of 24 – 20. Penrith put out a solid start in the first quarter, quickly achieving an early five-goal lead which left Harraby chasing to keep up in the early stages of the game. At the first whistle, the quarter score was 10 – 5 in Penrith’s favour, further extended to 16 – 11 in the second quarter, with a score of seven apiece. Several turnovers and interceptions throughout the second half led to two low-scoring quarters for both teams. Harraby and Penrith alike scored only nine and eight goals respectively in both quarters combined! The fight came to a head in the final quarter where Harraby took the win with seven goals to Penrith’s three but wasn’t quite enough to overtake. A number of new combinations for the Penrith team were tried and tested throughout the game which provides a good foundation to build upon over the break for Easter – league play may be paused, but training certainly isn’t! Congratulations are extended to Harraby 3s’ Player of the Match, as well as Penrith’s own (now two-time) Player of the Match, Cara Watson. Our thanks also go to the umpires for the evening. Penrith Seniors’ final match of the main season will be Mavericks on 26th April at 8pm.
