MATCH REPORT | Strathclyde Sirens 71-47 Saracens Mavericks
Sometimes you have to just accept that it wasn’t your night.
That’s all Camilla Buchanan and her side can do after a disappointing defeat to Strathclyde Sirens in Glasgow.
Mavericks headed into this one in a confident mood after a string of performances that had seen the on-court connections continue to grow and develop.
There were few signs of what was to come in the opening passages of play, as Mavericks opened up an early lead, with Buchanan sticking with the same starting seven that she has used for the majority of the season.
The opening quarter saw Mavericks play with poise and power, with Jodie Gibson proving to be a rock at the back of the court and Ine-Mari Venter continuing her fine form under the net.
There was cause for personal celebration too for Venter, as she notched her 1000th Netball Super League goal, to keep her side ahead.
As in the pre-season friendly at HSV though, Sirens bounced back, as they picked up the pace, to leave the score tantalisingly posed at 15-apiece heading into the first quarter break.
In truth, it was in the second quarter that the damage was done, as Sirens returned to the court as a bundle of energy, probing and harrying the Mavericks mid-court and latching onto every error they could.
Mavericks looked to stem the tide, with the introduction of Ellie Kelk and Christina Shaw, with both players showing some nice touches in both the attacking and defensive third.
By this point though, Sirens were in the groove, as the goal tally continued to build, leaving the Scottish side leading by a comfortable eleven-goal margin at the break.
At the break, both Georgia Lees was introduced in the place of captain Sasha Corbin, with the Wing Attack showing all of her experience with some probing play in the third quarter, as she and her Mavericks side looked for a way back into the match.
In truth though, the game was beyond Camilla Buchanan’s side by this point, as Sirens continued to build the score in front of an increasingly buoyant home crowd.
Both Beth Ecuyer-Dale and Britney Clarke were introduced in the final quarter, as Buchanan rotated her squad in search of some momentum and, whilst Mavericks did manage to stem the tide from their rampant hosts, the game had long since gone, as Sirens ran out comprehensive victors.
Whilst a disappointing evening on the scoreboard, Mavericks will still be able to take the positives from the impact of the bench, with Christina Shaw and Ellie Kelk both showcasing their ability during their time on court.
This was though, a challenging evening north of the border, as Mavericks were given a lesson by a ruthless Sirens side.
The focus now has to be on ensuring that lessons are learnt from the match, heading into another challenging weekend, with fixtures against Team Bath and Manchester Thunder to come.
