Lightning stand-ins help avoid Black-out
SEVERAL lower-team players stepped up admirably to help Lightning A overcome an availability nightmare in attack and clinch five hard-earned points on Tuesday night.
Lightning may be the Premier Division leaders, but they had to hold their nerve to win 32-27 against the mid-table Rezzers Black at Grammar School.
Much has changed since Lightning conquered champions Rezzers Green the previous week, with their main attacking trio – Donna Brehaut, Steph Batiste and Kerri Brown – all out with Covid, and potential step-ups Kate Le Maitre and Lydia McClean also ill.
This compounded existing availability issues for Lightning, who consequently relied upon B and even C team players to plug the gap.
An exceptionally low-scoring start resulted as the first quarter ended level at 5-5.
Rezzers were well-equipped with promising youngsters like Evie Robinson, who showed her fitness at C, but also some handy experience. That included GK Lois Batiste and GD Claire Green producing many rebounds and turnovers in their defensive circle.
Lightning could count on seasoned GK Lorna Hall and GD Anais Flatres to turn over plenty of balls – though, adding to the nerves, they often found their way back again.
Lightning began to settle as shooting step-ups GA Grace Phillips and GS Shelley De Lisle fired them to a 16-12 lead at half-time.
Although Rezzers had struggled to find a rhythm in the attacking third, WA substitute Savannah Goddard helped their movement and fed their shooters nicely in quarter three, which they ended 22-19 down.
But Lightning hit back with a strong final quarter while giving exposure to U18 shooter Immy Giles, a calm option despite her youth.
‘We got the result,’ said veteran Hall as she deputised for their absent captaincy duo of Brehaut and Batiste.
‘It was hard work, too – it felt tougher than playing Rezzers A the previous week.’
The evergreen Guernsey star feels it was a great opportunity for their lower-team members, including player-of-the-match Phillips.
‘It was great for their experience and they really enjoyed it. They really stepped up to the plate.’
Rezzers captain Lois Batiste, the other POM winner, praised the defensive performance of both sides.
‘It was good to push them all the way with an outside chance of doing our Green team a great favour,’ she said.
‘I think there were a few moments we rattled them and had them a little worried, but it wasn’t quite to be and we just fell short to their still first-team choice defence.’
