Northumbria record second win

Loughborough Lightning made the journey to Newcastle to face Team Northumbria.

Northumbria shocked their opponents with a 47-46 victory. Read the home side’s match report below:

Team Northumbria clinched a second successive Netball Superleague win in dramatic fashion tonight to breathe new life into an increasingly exciting campaign.

Te Aroha Keenan’s side defeated top four contenders Loughborough Lightning 47-46 in the dying seconds of a thrilling clash at Sport Central.

And TN’s jubilant coach couldn’t contain her emotions as she leapt from the bench on the final whistle to embrace her battling players.

Chiara Semple and Lynsey Armitage once again showed nerves of steal to sink a series of big shots under pressure.

And the Superleague’s most prolific points scorer, Ugandan shooter Peace Proscovia, endured a frustrating night in the face of another show of defensive strength from Tuaine Keenan and Leah Kennedy.

Semple fired the hosts into a 9-4 lead midway through the opening period as TN picked up where they left off against the Jets a week earlier.

Jamaican duo Shanice Beckford and Nicole Dixon refused to allow the Lightning to settle as they forced the visitors into a series of errors.

And although Loughborough rallied to 11-9, another burst of incisive attacking netball fired TN into a 14-10 first quarter lead.

Teenager Jaydene Robinson had reinforced her reputation as a rising star of Superleague in the opening 15 minutes.

But the home favourite suffered a heavy fall three minutes into the second period and was helped off court with a painful arm injury.

Robinson was replaced at wing defence by Emily Hollingworth but TN regrouped and led 21-15 on the back of another pinpoint Semple goal.

But Lightning responded by reducing the deficit to a single goal before a Lynsey Armitage-inspired 7-2 run to half-time put the hosts 30-24 ahead.

TN emerged for the second half unchanged and for the first time in the match failed to put pressure on the Loughborough offence.

The visitors drew level at 30-30 and continued to ask questions of Kennedy and Keenan despite the decision to take leading scorer Proscovia out of the attack.

TN took a 38-37 lead into the final period sensing a famous victory against the hotly fancied East Midlanders.

But Lightning opened up a 40-38 advantage five minutes into the fourth quarter before the home team rallied again to seal a famous win.

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