Ollie Stevenson and Megan Paul-Thomas
Nottingham Forest’s NXT GEN Netball side fell to a frustrating 64–67 defeat to London Mavericks, with the result seriously damaging their hopes of making the playoffs.
The brutal reality is that this is a game Forest should have won, as despite dominating the contest for long stretches they lost by three. They were undone not by the Mavs but by their own inability to convert when it mattered most.
The opening quarter was largely Forest’s, with the Reds controlling possession and dictating the tempo. But it was the Mavs who edged ahead by the first buzzer, their superior super shot accuracy proving the difference as the Mavericks took a 22–17 lead into the break.
The second quarter followed a similar script. Forest came out stronger, goalkeeper Dumebi Onichabor disrupting the Mavs’ rhythm and the Reds’ attack looking sharper in open play.
A disallowed Mavericks goal handed Forest a lifeline, but the Reds failed to capitalise, and a miss at the other end allowed London to punish them on the counter. When the super shots came around, London were ruthless again, and what had been a tight contest was stretched to 35–29 by half-time, a scoreline which flattered the Mavericks and frustrated Forest.
However, The Reds came out of the half-time break with renewed purpose. A quick start after the restart closed the gap to 36–34, and from there it became a relentless back-and-forth, Forest refusing to let the game slip but unable to deliver the killer blow.
Lily Smith stood out more with every possession, as she helped drag the Reds level at 50–50 for the first time since the opening quarter. The Mavs were still stronger during the super shot, but with 30 seconds left Smith brought Forest within one.
Then, with the final throw of the quarter, a Forest super shot went begging – a moment which seemingly summed up their afternoon. They went into the fourth trailing 52–53.
The final quarter was agonising. Forest stayed within one or two throughout, repeatedly winning the ball but failing to convert. A foul won by the Reds in the centre looked like a momentum shift, but it went to waste, and with the Mavs only three to the good going into the final super shot period, it could have been anyone’s game.
The Mavericks, to their credit, held their nerve even as goal shooter Hannah Passmore produced a rare miss. Then, with three minutes left, a fantastic interception handed Smith another chance from super shot range – and this time she took it. It had been all Forest for the final five minutes.
But in the dying seconds London steadied, replying with a super shot of their own and opening up a four-point gap the Reds could not close. Smith scored again with 20 seconds left to make it 64–67, but the final buzzer came before Forest could do any more damage.
They lost by three despite a performance that deserved more. The result lifts Mavericks level with Loughborough lightning at the top of the table, while Forest remain fifth – still in the hunt, but dependant on results elsewhere over the weekend may be out of room for error.
Ollie Stevenson and Megan Paul-Thomas
