Hawks get new campaign off to winning start

HENLEY HAWKS got their Reading and District Legaue season off a winning start as they defeated RG7 BLACK 52-42.

The first quarter was a little scrappy but accurate shooting from D Cox helped Hawks take a 13-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Henley Hawks’ shooting duo Cox and E Parker continued to work well together adding another 14 goals to their total.

Hawks’ WD C McCarthy, GD L Johnston and GK S Filby applied pressure and were rewarded with several interceptions. At half time Hawks had extended their lead to 27-19.

Both RG7 Black and Henley Hawks moved players around for the third quarter, and RG7 Black stepped up a gear with fierce competition in the centre of the court and some good shooting from the edge of the D.

In contrast Henley Hawks struggled to get the ball into scoring positions with some good interceptions from RG7 Black as the quarter ended with Hawks leading 39-30.

In the final quarter RG7 Black continued to work hard with some fine defence, but J Goforth and S Coff’s movement in the centre of the court and balls into the shooting circle kept Hawks ahead.

On Wednesday of last week HENLEY EAGLES defeated BLUE MAGNETS 45-12 in Division 3 of the Maidenhead and District League.

Eagles took control from the first whistle and never looked like they would relinquish the lead, pulling away steadily from their opposition in every quarter.

In the first half, Eagles’ defensive duo of Sarah Kenyon at GK and Tamryn Settle at GD, dominated and held the opposition to just four goals. At the other end of the court, shooters Kate Tremayne (GS) and Bea Barefield (GA) made the most of every scoring opportunity, notching up an impressive 20 goals in the first half.

The mid-court trio of player-of-the-match Georgina Robertson (C), Nikki Stubbs (WA) and Annabel Garbett (WD) ensured that Eagles kept possession whilst stopping Blue Magnets from making any easy passes and disrupting their play down court.

Eagles continued their hard work in the second half, and, despite a number of positional switches from Blue Magnets, continued to score consistently while intercepting plenty of ball midcourt and picking up numerous rebounds from Blue Magnet shots that fell short.

Speaking after the game, Eagles co-captain Barefield said: “This was a fantastic team performance throughout the whole game.

“We’ve worked hard on our movement and communication in training and the result is certainly a fitting reward for the team’s effort.”

HENLEY KITES lost out in their first ever competitive league match as they went down 39-12 to VIXENS.

The Kites went 2-1 after just three minutes but the Vixens then used their strength, experience and relentless shooting skills to move into a 21-5 lead by half-time.

The Kites fought hard with Michelle Thornley (C), Jess O’Sullivan (WD) and Bea Barefield (WA) matching the Vixens in centre court, possession and interceptions abounded on both sides and O’Sullivan’s unfaltering energy and speed continually broke her opponent’s momentum.

Juliet Machan (GK) and Hannah Lewis (GD) heroically battled against the tall and talented shooters, stealing the ball and blocking shots wherever possible. Claire Priddy (GS) and Emma-Jane Girling (GA) created numerous opportunities at the other end.

The third quarter was the best for Kites, Emma Jane and Claire got into the scoring groove and Kites only trailed by four points for this quarter.

The Vixens came back at them in the final quarter to push on and win by 27 points.