York had a lot to prove today for their first match of the season as they won 31-25, given that it was against Leeds Met who narrowly beat them to second place in the league last season.
The girls walked on to the court with an eagerness to win after the hard work invested during pre-season under new captain, Bronwen Dalley-Smith, and also with the exciting addition of two new freshers on the team.
Hollie Dixson took advantage of York’s first centre pass and enabled the ball to swiftly make its way to the shooters. However, an early lead was not to be, due to rushed passing and an alert defensive duo on the Leeds Met team. The centre pass was not converted with thanks to the York’s defensive duo in the form of Carrie Green and the new addition of Grace Baker playing at GK. The two worked tirelessly together to ensure the opposition’s shooters had their work cut out for them; the combined height of York’s defence this year was an asset for the frequent rebound opportunities, which they capitalised on.
A consistent and steady level of play forced Leeds Met to fumble their passes as they found that their options were becoming limited, especially with the dominant presence of Lucy Damond at WD. Daymond timed her movements so that she was able to intercept their rushed balls time and time again. Daymond and Dixson worked to form the team’s core, encouraging a skilled and focussed level of play in to the shooters, which is something that York have specifically been working to achieve.
Dalley-Smith’s speed and her partnership with Dixson were key to York’s success in turning each ball in to a goal. York maintained a high level of play with a fresh dynamic in the centre court with the substitution of Rachel Turner to WA. Grace Clarke stood her ground at GS and was an asset to the attacking end of the court, working with Turner to produce an array of passes with an impressive pass-to-goal ratio.
There was a strong feeling of support today, not just on the court with the every player pressuring Leeds Met’s attacking ball, but also off the court with York’s subs giving much-needed support and feedback.
The third-quarter saw the substitution of fresher Rhian Evans to WA, who worked to provide the second option to support Dixson. Clarke and Emma Loft (at GA) managed to maintain their accuracy of shots throughout the game, however the fluidity of feeds in to the shooters did become disjointed due to erratic passing, and hesitant movements of the attacking duo.
It looked as if Leeds Met were going to close in on York’s lead in the fourth-quarter, however Green and Baker proved to be a promising team as they remained a strongly-felt presence against Leeds Met’s accurate shooters. Something that did stand out today was York’s determination and the support throughout the whole team, which did not falter where the level of play occasionally dipped.
Dalley-Smith said of her team: “I’m really happy and so proud of the girls. Having never played together before the match, they have shown such incredible promise. We obviously have things to work on but I am so excited for the season ahead.”
Vision MOTM: Hollie Dixson