CARDIFF 1sts…......................38

BRUNEL 1sts….......................38

EVEN THE most knowledgeable of netball spectators would have been hard pressed at any stage to predict a winner as Cardiff and Brunel ended in a 38-38 deadlock.

In what was a passionately fought game of breathtaking intensity, lightning movement and precise passing of the highest order, neither team had the initiative for long before the opposition had stolen in straight back.

If there was anything to choose between the sides it was shooting accuracy. Throughout the first half especially, the visitors were missing by the smallest of margins in stark contrast to the pinpoint shooting of their Cardiff counterparts.

It was frustrating in particular for Cardiff goal attack and team captain Carly Allchurch. Allchurch, who lead by example at the front, missed a last gasp chance to beat the Brunel squad in a penalty shoot at the final whistle. Until that point, it was anyone’s game.

The first quarter opened with Cardiff gaining the momentum and an early 3-1 lead. But almost as quickly as the ball changed hands, the momentum swung Brunel’s way.

Despite some opportunistic intercepts from Cardiff, the next seven goals were Brunel’s and the home side seemingly had no answer to the onslaught.

Courtesy of some super shots by Jo Allan, the goals soon enough returned and Cardiff broke out into a 12-7 lead with the visitors looking as overwhelmed as the home side had earlier.

Brunel made a pretty good fist of clawing back the deficit after the break, and not before long it was 14-14. Eager to gain control, both sides made unforced errors but unlike the first quarter, neither seemed to be able to break out of the deadlock.

The third quarter saw substitutions made and a noticeable improvement in performance by both teams. It ultimately finished, however, as it had started: one goal separating the two sides after another 22 goals.

Some particularly aggressive play on Brunel’s part characterised the final quarter, which saw them levelling the scores another six times.

Captain Carly Allchurch afterwards said the result was “A brilliant performance for the third game, a really physical game and everyone kept their cool.

“We’re looking forward to playing Bath in two weeks – the winners of the league last year.”