Regional League Division 2

Essex Open 56 Telstars 36

Essex Open got their regional league season off to an excellent start with a convincing 56-36 win over Telstars at Harrow Lodge Sports Centre.

Both sides struggled to get into a rhythm early on, with numerous mistakes preventing either side taking the initiative. However good shooting saw the teams getting on the scoresheet and as a result halfway through the first quarter Essex trailed 5-7. Telstars goal attack shot particularly well often from long range. As the quarter progressed Nicole Alves, Johanne Linehan and Rebecca Wilks started to take control of the centre court. In the circle Leah Hayzelden and Maddie Oshodi took full advantage of the opportunities created by giving Essex a 15-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Defensively Essex were very solid with Emma Shaw and Jasmin Odeogberin making life difficult for the Telstars shooters. In the second quarter Essex dominated. For long periods of the quarter Essex scored freely. Consequently, when the half time whistle was blown Essex had built a match winning 34-18 lead.

Essex took the opportunity to give game time to all the squad. In the third quarter Essex introduced Renee Hurley, Rebecca Mead, Sophia Sefton, Emma Thorogood and Atronna Sebyala. It took a while for the new players to get into the game and as a result the third quarter was a much closely fought affair however with a quarter to go the points were effectively in the bag as Essex led 46 28.

The last quarter followed much the same as the previous one with Essex making several changes which meant it took time for the team to settle. Essex managed to score 10 goals against 8 in reply from Telstars.

This means that when the final whistle went, Essex had secured their first points of the regional league season winning 56-36.

Shaw, Hurley, Odeogberin, Alves, Linehan, Thorogood, Mead, R Wilks, Sefton, Haayzelden, Sebyala, Oshodi