Essex Open A 50, Leyton A 47
This was an incredibly close contest that remained undecided until the final minutes. The match began with both sides trading goals, and midway through the first quarter Essex held a narrow 6–5 lead.
Essex then enjoyed a strong spell of possession, with Nicole Alves, Rebecca Wilks, and Johanne Linehan taking control of the game and dictating the tempo. Their dominance allowed Essex to pull ahead, establishing a five-goal cushion at 13–7.
However, Leyton responded well, showing determination to close the gap. By the end of a tightly contested opening quarter, the score stood at 13–10 in Essex’s favour.
The second quarter proved disappointing for Essex. Leyton began strongly, scoring six goals with only a solitary reply from their opponents to move into a 16–14 lead. Their momentum continued as they stretched the advantage to 23–19, leaving Essex struggling to find their rhythm.
Despite the poor spell, Essex showed impressive resilience to claw their way back into the game, netting five unanswered goals towards the end of the quarter. At half-time, the scores were level at 25–25.
Essex came out revitalised in the third quarter, producing some excellent netball. Maddie O’Shodi and Leah Hayzelden combined effectively in attack, scoring five goals without reply to restore a five-goal cushion. Although Leyton continued to battle, Essex maintained their advantage thanks to solid defensive work from Emma Shaw and Renee Hurley, who limited Leyton to just eight goals in the quarter. Heading into the final phase, Essex held a five-goal lead.
In the final quarter, Essex began brightly, extending their lead to 43–34. However, Leyton once again refused to yield, cutting the deficit to six with half the quarter remaining. A few careless errors from Essex allowed Leyton further opportunities, and the tension rose as the visitors closed to within three goals at 48–45.
Fortunately, Essex held their nerve in the closing moments, converting from their centre pass and capitalising on a Leyton turnover. Although Leyton scored twice late on, Essex remained composed to secure a 50–47 victory in a thrilling encounter.
Essex Open A squad: Emma Shaw, Renee Hurley, Nicole Alves, Johanne Linehan, Rebecca Wilks, Leah Hayzelden, Maddie O’Shodi, Emma Thorogood.
