Burmah Fall To Magnificent Seven

Corsham, arguably, missing as many as four starters, begged from the Moonraker squad and called in a favour from Flava, parachuting Wozniak junior in from Manchester just to field the bare seven. This magnificent seven then rode into town and put together their finest performance to record their fifth win of the season…

Sure, there have been statistically superior outings this season and there was the terrific comeback against Croft but, for sheer grit and determination, this takes the cake… Not only reduced to the bare seven but with several of those seven playing out of their preferred positions, there was some trepidation amongst the Corsham faithful regarding the nature of the outcome.

Under a clear, blue Dorcan sky Corsham set out on the front foot, with Lisa lame from aggravating her already battered knees in Finland during the week it would fall to Alice to provide the action in and around the circle - It is a tribute to her endeavour and versatility that Corsham have triumphed over recent weeks despite the absence of Deb Carson at GA and she put in another match-winning performance here -. Ably assisted by the remarkable Ruth Hobbs at WA fresh off her recent confinement and still running around like a teenager and the perennial teenager Lou Blackman at C Corsham built a 10-5 lead at the end of the first period.

Patience was required, this was never going to be a sixty-goal shootout… with possession changing hands as frequently as the prettiest girl in the village at a gentleman’s excuse me, it was going to take resolve, discipline and nerve over the full sixty minutes.
Burmah are a bit of an enigma…, since the middle of last season and for no apparent reason their form has drifted away alarmingly and with only one win to their name so far this season this correspondent was expecting them to put out a statement performance. It never materialised. They struggled mightily to retain possession and struggled even more mightily to convert possession into goals. This was only partly attributable to their own failings as the Corsham defence was spectacular. All the way down the court Corsham challenged every pass, every movement was shadowed… there was nowhere to go.

On crossing halfway, they ran into Wozniak junior at GD and the maniacal Mandy at WD. Wozniak junior was all over the GA like a cheap suit and Mandy presented a whirling mass of arms and legs that must have led the WA to believe she was being marked by Squiddly Diddly… (showing my age)

On the rare occasion that this line was breached the formidable presence of Shelley Meiklereid hovered into view… This season Shelley has been playing her best ball, like some colossus of Greek mythology she bestrides the court picking off passes for fun and snaffling rebounds for the hell of it, all with that languid, unhurried style we recognise as her hallmark. Burmah were to be treated to a GK masterclass and were annihilated.
To be sure, scoring 38 goals will not win you many netball matches… however, conceding 29, will.

It is to the defence that this victory must be attributed. By that, I mean the total defence, not just the ladies wearing a D or a K. No, to those wearing a C, A or S must go credit also.
19-12 up at halftime and the belief began to flow… The third quarter saw Corsham stretch their advantage to ten, 30-20. A last, desperate, flurry saw Burmah attempt a remarkable comeback only to be dashed on the rocky shore of Corsham’s defence. The outcome, a true team victory 38-29.

Correspondents’ player; Alice Wilson; once again accepting the mantle of responsibility at a foreign position and producing a winning performance.

Burmah player; Shelley Meiklereid;… Nothing, other than awesome, to add.

Ps Honorary membership of the supporters’ club to be extended to Maya, Jake and Pheobe for swelling the ranks of the faithful.
Pps Ruth, can you tell James that, unfortunately, he’s sacked as the mascot and to be replaced by his sister, who’s welcome to come every week, even if you’re not able to…