Following a whole host of postponed fixtures, Loughborough Lightning finally got their home Cooperative Netball Superleague campaign underway on Saturday against Hertfordshire Mavericks.

With Lightning still missing many defensive players due to injury, Layla Guscoth and Emma Bliss again started in defence, hoping to keep the Mavericks’ experienced England shooter Louise Brownfield and under 21’s star Ella Clark quiet.

At the other end of the court, Lightning’s captain Jo Harten, started at goal shooter and was up against her England team mate Amanda Newton at goal keeper.

Lightning started the game strongly, intercepting Mavericks’ first centre pass and bringing the ball down the court at speed, culminating with Harten converting.

The home side continued to play with energy and pace, with Harten linking up well with Alex Kirk in the circle and Layla Guscoth making vital interceptions in defence.

The Mavericks’ experienced team soon settled into the game and after some neat passing between Camilla Buchanan and England’s Karen Atkinson, went in at quarter time 13 -11 up.

Lightning started the next quarter well, converting their first centre pass, but their opponents’ continued to impress with some slick passing through the court. The experience of Mavericks’ England internationals started to show as they extended their lead to 28 -18 at half-time. The start of the second half saw both teams make changes, with Lightning coach Olivia Murphy bringing on Masego Moutang at wing defence. The Hertfordshire side also made changes at the back, with Buchanan moving to wing defence and Newton and Hutchinson swapping round in the circle.

Loughborough’s defence continued to apply the pressure, with Guscoth in particular making some crucial tips. However, it was not enough as the Lightning youngsters made unforced errors, and the experienced Mavericks continued to link up well. By the end of the third quarter, the visitors extended their lead to 43 – 25.

There were more changes in the final quarter as Talissa Haynes was introduced at wing defence with Moutang moving up court to wing attack.

Haynes made an early impact, intercepting a Mavericks pass, which lead to an early goal. Lightning’s Sarah Jane O’Sullivan was injured and replaced by Katie Rose, who had herself only just been taken off. The energy Lightning started with was short lived as the Mavericks allowed them to score just five more goals, making the final score 43 – 25.

After a tough contest, the Mavericks showed decisiveness on the ball and some neat link up play in centre court and passing into the shooters, something coach Murphy thought Lightning were lacking.

“We had enough of the possession today to have at least made the scoreline closer. We made some good interceptions in, but when we won the ball, we often struggled to know what to do next. We needed someone to take initiative and come forward to take the ball through the court. It’s disappointing to lose but there were lots of positives to take from the game.”

Player of the Match, Layla Guscoth echoed her coach’s sentiments. “I was disappointed with the final score, as we played well in patches. However, if we want to succeed, we need to become more consistent throughout the game.”

Loughborough Lightning will be looking to quickly erase the memories of Saturday’s defeat in their next home game, this time being played at the Walsall campus, on February 6th. For more info or tickets, visit www.loughboroughlightning.co.uk.