Difference is speed of A team's play

IT TOOK the champions to end the unbeaten run of Nerine C's veterans in Division One of the Condor Ferries League. The C side had no answer to the zippy passing of the club's A squad, who romped to a 56-24 win.

Gill Queripel undertook the unusual task of coaching both sides and said it was the basic speed of the first team that made all the difference.

'And they don't like losing,' she said.

The coach is predicting a good battle for second spot in the top division, although she is a little concerned about the champions' chances in the forthcoming match against MPR Sarnians One.

As for the vets, Queripel is confident they will remain near the top.

'I think it will be really tight between them, Sarnians and Nerine B.'

The veterans recovered to beat Barclays Masters 42-23 the following evening.

Vanessa Marsh shone for the Masters, but the shooting power of Dawn Browning proved too much for the losers.

In other top flight games, there were wins for TCCI, Nerine B, Barclays Masters and MPR Sarnians One.

TCCI's greater experience told in their favour when they came up against Nerine D.

The first quarter was even, but in the second, excellent shooting from Jan Fazackerley took the match away from the youngsters and TCCI won 31-14.

Nerine B were always on top against MPR Sarnians Two and won 56-13.

The margin would have been greater but for some fine defending by Melanie Payne and their player of the match, Kiera Vaudin.

Sarnians' firsts started with only six against P & J Conservatories, but the latter could not take advantage in the wet and the arrival of Sarnians' seventh player made sure P & J could not recover.

In Division Three, the pick of the games saw HSBC Honeys and Nerine J fight out a 27-27 draw.

Some awesome shooting by Honeys' Emma Wyatt-Nicolle and Nerine's Sarah Mallett ensured the match remained close throughout.

In the middle of the court, Emma Bougourd and Louise Lawton also shone with some accurate passing and timely interceptions.

In the fledgling Junior League, Nerine Extreme beat P & J Black 3-1.

Extreme's centre, Georgie Prow, played well and her team would have won more convincingly but for brave defending by P & J's Stephanie Johns.

Nerine Backfire beat Nerine Superstars 2-0 in a match significant for some fine centre-court play from Erin Scullion and Enrica Fernandes.

In the third match, Sarnians Blue and Nerine Spikes drew 2-2.

Charlotte Le Marquand and Cheyenne Wylie picked up the respective player-of-the-match nominations in that match.