Celtic Dragons dominated their Vitality Netball Superleague match against Team Northumbria, but the visitors surprisingly finished 56-51 winners.
Cardiff-based Dragons welcomed 11 players back from Wales duty at the Commonwealth Games and played some excellent netball at times.
They won the first and second quarters, but faded as TN hit back and earned their first Superleague win of the season.
Composure in attack coupled with fantastic team pressure throughout the court saw the dragons take an early 7-5 lead.
Defensive pressure was key from the Dragons in the first quarter with all seven players making it difficult for the Northumbria attack. Turnover ball was rewarded when Georgia Rowe sunk a mid-range shot to make it 10-8 to Dragons and they went into the break leading 15-13.
Dragons kept an unchanged side in the second quarter with changes made to the Team Northumbria line-up, who were unable to cope with Rowe’s dominate display in attack during the first quarter.
Dragons defence worked tirelessly throughout court to turnover ball with welcomed applause from the crowd with both Rowe and Cara-Lea Moseley converting to push ahead to a four-goal lead. Dragons settled into their game plan with Northumbria unable to upset the movement of the ball through court and Dragons led by seven goals at half-time.
The second half began with again an unchanged line up for Dragons who came flying out of the blocks, turning over ball to push on to a 32-26 scoreline.
Northumbria’s defence stepped up, making it difficult for Dragons to find space and penetrate the attacking third. Varey was replaced for Llewelyn to try and move the Northumbria defence, but a series of loose possession allowed Team Northumbria to start clawing the score back to a 4-goal deficit.
It was during the last quarter that Team Northumbria seemed to come to life, a series of turnover balls from dragon’s mistakes quickly allowed Team Northumbria back into the game levelling the scores.
Dragons were struggling to find space and penetrate through court, while loose passes and contact calls provided Team Northumbria with the opportunity to pull ahead for the first time in the match.
Team Northumbria showed a clinical edge to pull away to a 49-44 goal lead. Dragons needed to do something different so Amanda Varey returned to court with Sara Llewelyn moving to GA and Moseley taking over at GS from Rowe.
With five minutes left on the clock the dragons players continued to fight, narrowing the score line to four before Nia Jones was replaced by Leila Thomas in the final few minutes.
After dominating the majority of the match Dragons couldn’t close the gap and Northumbria left Cardiff with their first Superleague win of the season.
There is a Superleague match being shown live on Sky television this evening (Monday)with benches Mavericks playing Team Bath (5.30pm).
Dragons v Northumbria:
Player of the Match: Kyra Jones, Celtic Dragons Centre
Quarter scores (Dragons first): 15-13; 14-9 (29-22); 13-16 (42-38); (9-18) 51-56.
Celtic Dragons: G Rowe, CL Moseley, A Varey, K Jones, S Drane [C], N Jones & K Morgan. Replacements: S Bell, F Davies, S Llewelyn, E Roberts, L Thomas
Celtic Dragons Tickets are on sale. Head to Ticketline to get yours: https://tinyurl.com/ycl6px69
2018 Vitality Netball Superleague
Celtic Dragons fixtures and results
February
Monday 12: Celtic Dragons 49, benecosMavericks 61
Saturday 17: Celtic Dragons 35, Team Bath 54
Saturday 24: Loughborough Lightning 69, Celtic Dragons 45
Monday 26: Celtic Dragons 55, Surrey Storm 50
March
Saturday 3: Manchester Thunder v Celtic Dragons (postponed, rearranged for June 11, 7pm)
Saturday 10: Celtic Dragons 49, Severn Stars 40
Sunday 18: Wasps Netball 74, Celtic Dragons 32
April
Saturday 28: Celtic Dragons 51 Team Northumbria 56
May
Friday 4: Team Bath v Celtic Dragons, 7:30pm
Monday 7: Surrey Storm v Celtic Dragons, 3pm
Monday 14: Celtic Dragons v Loughborough Lightning, 7pm (Live on Sky)
Saturday 19: benecosMavericks v Celtic Dragons, TBC
Friday 25: Celtic Dragons v Manchester Thunder, 7pm
Monday 28: UWS Sirens v Celtic Dragons, 7pm
June
Saturday 2: Team Northumbria v Celtic Dragons, 6pm
Saturday 9: Celtic Dragons v Wasps Netball, 4pm
Saturday 16: Celtic Dragons v UWS Sirens, 4pm
Monday 25: Severn Stars v Celtic Dragons, 7:30pm