Vibrant 37 Essex Open 64

Essex bounce back with dominant display at Dartford

After a tough defeat in their previous match, Essex Open were back to their brilliant best with a convincing 64–37 victory over Vibrant at Dartford.

The win was built on an outstanding first-quarter performance that set the tone for the rest of the game. Essex came out strong, scoring 20 goals to Vibrant’s 8. The opening minutes were evenly contested, with both sides going goal for goal, but once Essex found their rhythm there was no looking back. The centre-court trio of Johanne Linehan, Jasmin Odeogberin, and Rebecca Wilks controlled the midcourt superbly, creating chance after chance for the shooters.

In the circle , Leah Hayzelden and Maddie Oshodi were in top form, converting almost every opportunity and leaving the Vibrant defence struggling to keep up.

The second quarter was just as impressive, with Essex continuing to dominate all areas of the court. In defence, Renee Hurley was once again outstanding, supported brilliantly by the ever-reliable Emma Shaw. Hazelden and Oshodi continued to pile on the pressure, adding another 21 goals to extend the lead to 41–17 by half-time.

Essex made several changes in the third quarter, bringing on Rebecca Mead, Rochelle Reynolds-Blanche, and Emma Thorogood. The new combinations took a little time to settle, but Essex continued to control the game and maintained their strong advantage, leading 51–29 heading into the final quarter.

In the closing period, Essex pushed on and stretched their lead even further. There was also an opportunity for Atronna Sebyala to come on as shooter, and she impressed immediately with her sharp movement and confident finishing.

This was an excellent team performance from start to finish — full of energy, teamwork, and precision. Essex will be looking to build on this result and carry their momentum into the next game.

Squad: Hurley, Shaw, Thorogood, Linehan, Odeogberin, Wilks, Hayzelden, Oshodi, Mead, Sebyala, Reynolds-Blanche.