Team Northumbria 60, Celtic Dragons 48
Celtic Dragons suffered on Tyneside in a physical Vitality Netball Superleague match.
The teams were separated by only three goals going into the final quarter, but Team Northumbria took control by scoring 19 goals in that session.
That that left Dragons bottom of the Superleague table with only one win this season, but once again they were highly competitive for most of the 60 minutes.
Head coach Trish Wilcox and her players are focused on producing a big finish to the 2017 season and they have four fixtures left.
The first of those matches is against fourth-placed Surrey Storm at home next Monday before they travel to take on leaders Loughborough Lightning.
Dragons still have three home games at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff and are intent on adding to their win tally.
The Welsh team arrived on Tyneside on the back of nailbiting defeats against Manchester Thunder and Mavericks – both games the Welsh club could have won.
On the back of a confident start from shooter Georgia Rowe the home team pulled 13-10 ahead after the first quarter, although at times there was only one goal in it.
TN led by as many as eight goals in the second period before Dragons pegged back the lead to trail 30-25 at half-time.
A typically nervous third quarter – traditionally a poor period for coach TeAroha Keenan’s team – saw the visitors close to within two goals at 35-33.
A four-goal Chiara Semple burst put TN back in the driving seat before Dragons hit back again.
Only three goals separated the two teams heading into the final quarter and Keenan rang the changes with Vicky Burgess and Iman Thomas providing fresh legs in mid-court.
It was a move that would ultimately pay off as Dragons tired and TN took control to lead by seven with less than six minutes to play.
Quarter scores (Northumbria first): 16-12; 14-13 (30-25); 11-13 (41-38); 19-10 (60-48).
Vitality Superleague Netball
Celtic Dragons’ four remaining fixtures – all at Sport Wales National Centre, Cardiff
May
Monday 15: Celtic Dragons v Surrey Storm (7pm)
Saturday 20: Loughborough Lightning v Celtic Dragons
Saturday 27: Celtic Dragons v Wasps (4pm)
June
Saturday 3: Celtic Dragons v Team Northumbria (2pm)
Tickets for all Dragons home games can be found at www.ticketline.co.uk
Information is available via celticdragonsnetball.com