Essex Open 75 Eclipse 46
Essex Open clinched the Regional League Division 2 championship with an emphatic 75-46 win over Eclipse. This is a deserved reward for a magnificent season in which they have only lost one game and have recorded victory in 12 others. With one game to go, Essex cannot be caught and have secured the title.
Essex started this game well and with barely a quarter of the first period had established a 6-2 lead. Essex were dominating the centre court with Johanne Linehan, Jasmin Odegberin and Rebecca Wilks in excellent form. As usual, shooters Leah Hayzelden and Maddie Oshodi. took full advantage of the chances that were created. Eclipse fought back, but throughout the first quarter Essex held the upper hand. Although Eclipse had a very good shooter, the defensive duo of Emma Shaw and Emma Thorogood ensured that her chances were limited. In particular, Emma Shaw made several excellent interceptions. At the end of the first quarter, Essex held a 20-13 lead. Any hopes of an Eclipse comeback disappeared in the first part of the second quarter, where at one stage Essex scored seven consecutive goals without response. Although Eclipse continued to battle hard and started to reduce the arrears towards the end of the quarter, Essex again stepped up a gear, scoring a further seven goals without response. To all intents and purposes, at half time the game was over, as Essex led 40-23. The scoreline meant that Essex were able to utilise all of their squad, and Olivia Edwards, Attrona Sebyala, and Nicole Alves all played a significant part in the third quarter. Indeed, this was Essex’s best quarter as they piled on the pressure and scored a further 23 goals against 14 from Eclipse. At the end of the third quarter, Essex led 63-37. Essex continued to make the changes, but in the last quarter, both sides eased up with tiredness causing lots of mistakes. However, Essex still won the last quarter 12-9 to give them a convincing 75-46 victory and the Division Two title.
Shaw, Thorogood, Linehan, Odegberin, R Wilks, Hayzelden, Oshodi, Edwards, Sebyala, Alves
