Yorkshire Jets faced another challenging day in the Vitality Netball Superleague as they were beaten by the reigning champions Surrey Storm 39-56 in Leeds.
It was another heavy defeat for the home side, by 39 points to 56, but there were signs of improvement from the 30-points to Team Bath a week ago.
Head Coach Anna Carter changed her attacking line-up with the return of shooter Alex Kirk from injury alongside exciting young Yorkshire prospect Lucy Harris.
They teamed up well in the first quarter of the game with the challenge being getting the ball to them through a strong Storm defence. It was a close 15 minutes with the visitors only managing to open up a two-point advantage.
In the second quarter, Storm upped their game and Jets inconsistency returned to haunt them as a series of unforced errors saw them fall behind the visitors. After a disappointing period, the home side went into half-time 18-29 behind.
After some tough talking at the break, Maria Lutua came on at Goal Attack and Jets put together a better passage of play. It wasn’t enough to stop Storm extending their advantage though as they took a 15-point lead into the final 15 minutes.
The final quarter was about Jets trying to give the capacity crowd in Leeds something to cheer about. Vanes-Mari Du Toit was the only Jets change, on at Goal Keeper, and she made an impact immediately intercepting a Storm attack which was converted by Kirk at the other end of the court.
Despite some good periods, and a more evenly contested quarter from Jets, the visitors were able to add to their lead in the closing minutes to ultimately win by 17 points.
Another home game is next for Yorkshire Jets with their final chance of the season to win in front of a home crowd – they take on Team Northumbria on Saturday.
Attendance:
617
Player of the Match:
Bea Skingsley
Quarterly Scores:
Q1 – 11-13
Q2 – 18-29
Q3 – 28-43
Q4 – 39-56
Shooting Statistics:
Yorkshire Jets – 80% (39/49)
Alex Kirk – 75% (21/28)
Lucy Harris – 78% (7/9)
Maria Lutua – 92% (11/12)
Surrey Storm – 80% (56/70)
Rachel Dunn – 82% (37/45)
Pamela Cookey – 76% (19/25)
Starting 7s:
Yorkshire Jets
GS – Alex Kirk
GA – Lucy Harris
WA – Jess Shaw
C – Lydia Walker
WD – Sophie Halpin
GD – Stacey Francis
GK – Bea Skingsley
Surrey Storm
GS – Rachel Dunn
GA – Pamela Cookey
WA – Georgia Lees
C – Sophia Candappa
WD – Amy Flanagan
GD – Katy Holland
GK – Hannah Reid
Report courtesy of Yorkshire Jets
