Although Resolution IT Green were the dominant side in this season’s top flight, this Cup final, more than a month after the regular league’s conclusion, went 61-40 in the favour of their closest challengers, who had replaced them in the ‘Uptons’ a week prior due to their inability to field a side.
Match-sharp from playing Convent A and packing a full 12-person squad as compared to their rivals’ distinctly quiet bench, Lightning ultimately backed up their milestone victory from a 2023 Cup final between the same two teams on the show court at Beau Sejour.
But they took time to assert their dominance.
They scored from the first two centre passes but soon found themselves shipping two three-goal runs from a clinical Rezzers and their shooting duo of Anna Sauvarin and Taylor Callanan.
After a late fightback, Lightning managed to bring it level at 11 goals by the end of the quarter.
They continued to hustle on defence with impressive performances from the likes of Kerys Chamberlain, while attacking with speed and guile, soon scoring five on the bounce to make a real statement.
Rezzers plugged the gap temporarily but found themselves trailing 28-22 at half-time.
They continued chipping away at the depleted Rezzers, who continued to mix it up and showcase their versatility – including young GK Erin Sullivan doing a circle switch into GA – but were struggling to keep a foothold in this physical, well-contested match.
Lightning’s 44-31 lead with only 15min. remaining proved telling and they blew out the scoreline in the dying minutes, netting eight of the last nine goals as their opponents’ valiant challenge faded decisively.
Strike captain Donna Brehaut, who capped off a strong season in their attacking rotation with Steph Batiste and Bryony de Garis, had been grateful for the depth in their squad. It is the same depth that means Lightning had made up three of the six teams that contested this year’s ‘Prem’.
‘It was important that we had a strong squad, as we know how strong Rezzers are,’ she said.
‘Every player played their part today. We spoke a lot about the tactics of the game and we implemented those really well.
‘It was well-contested and physical, but what I think was quite good is through the middle of the game we pulled away and it gave us a nice little lead to be able to in the last quarter just try and retain that.
‘I thought everybody stepped it up massively.’
Rezzers Green had gone into the Cup showdown off the back of a thrilling overtime semi-final against their B team, Black.
But they were left cup-tied and unable to call up several of the figures who made the Blacks so brilliant on that occasion.
Lightning, who had qualified via an eight-goal victory over SNC Pula Blaze, had actually entered in high spirits after losing 76-38 to the Jersey Jets-filled Convent A the previous week.
‘We were really pleased with what we did in the Upton – to half Jersey’s score – and I think that helped give us momentum coming into today, so I’m really delighted,’ Brehaut added.
‘Credit to Rezzers, they’re a really strong team and they were lacking a little bit with their bench as some of their players were cup-tied – Blacks couldn’t play for them, so they were missing a few. But we’re really, really pleased.
‘I thought we all did our job really well.’
More about Winter League’s finals day and awards presentation to follow.
