USW 2nd outdone 11-51 by a classy display from University of Gloucestershire 4th

30th January 2019 Adam Evans Netball, Student Work 0
USW Netball 3rds v Swansea University 3rds - Picture Adam Evans
USW Netball 3rds v Swansea University 3rds - Picture Adam Evans

By Adam Evans

USW 2nd were left struggling near the foot of the BUCS Western 6A league after being defeated by a strong University of Gloucestershire side at the USW Sport Park.

A tight encounter looked on the cards early on, but midway through the first quarter the Gloucester outfit got into their stride.

Fluent passing from the visitors saw them open up the USW defence effectively and build a healthy lead going into the second half.

Gloucestershire didn’t take their foot off the gas in the final quarter and added a further 24 points to their score with USW only just reaching double figures.

The opening five minutes were closely contested with the University of Gloucestershire taking a narrow 2-3 lead.

The visitors then took control and pinned USW back in their own half, taking a 3-8 lead going into the second quarter.

Gloucestershire’s attack remained strong, much like their defence, with USW struggling to make the most of their few goal-scoring opportunities.

Showing no signs of relieving any pressure on the home side, Gloucestershire’s Grace Davies continued to finish her chances.

Going into the second half of the match, Gloucestershire had built themselves a convincing 3-19 lead.

Gloucester started the third quarter exactly where they left off scoring two quick-fire goals to increase their lead further.

The first period of sustained pressure from USW saw them double their goal tally but it was all about playing for pride at that point of the match.

The score was 6-27 in favour of the visitors going into the last quarter.

The game followed the same pattern throughout, with Grace Davies being the focal point to every attack and ultimately grabbing the vast majority of the goals for the away side.

In the end a dominant Gloucestershire performance earned them a resounding 11-51 win to continue their good season form.

Today’s result means that USW still face a dogfight for survival in the Western 6A league with Bath Spa 2nd and AECC 1st close behind them, meanwhile Gloucestershire are still in with a fighting chance of winning the title.