The match had been re-scheduled from an earlier date, so this was the last match in the division to be played before Christmas. A win for Haxby would propel them into third place, whilst a win for Rustlers would see us firmly in second place with only two defeats – so every player on court came out fighting for victory.

The teams were well-matched – not just in their determination, but also in their skills and approach. The height, energy and fast reflexes of Jenn and Vicky were mirrored in the Haxby defenders, who shut down overhead balls into the circle and forced our shooters to work hard for every shot. Rachel and Calista rose to the occasion in style, but their speed, creativity and accuracy was echoed in the tireless invention of the Haxby attackers, who kept Vicky and Jenn guessing with a range of attacking strategies. Likewise, Haxby’s centre court team were fast and furious, although not quite furious enough to outstrip Beth, Alice, Julia and Yvonne who were on a roll for a second week running with their speed and rapid interplay.

Overall, it seemed we just about had the edge on them, ending the first and then the second quarter with a slight lead. In the third quarter, Haxby made up a little bit of ground, so we went into the final quarter with the unpleasant sensation of our opponents breathing down our necks, ready to snatch victory out from under our noses...

Upping the intensity in a critical final quarter can be a dangerous game. Whilst each of us likes to give 100% throughout any game, that’s never as simple as going as hard and as fast as you can all the time – unless you’re much fitter than I am, anyway! Even the best sportswomen have to pace themselves, finding the sweet spot of sustainable intensity that still leaves you in a position to make good decisions. When we play like this, we play very well – like monkeys powering through forest canopies, we fly, we dodge, we loop, we time everything perfectly so we make those interceptions, slide out for those vital passes into the circle, and ultimately work together as a swift and efficient unit. But as the end of the game approaches and the need for sustainability drops away, the rules change, your play has to evolve, and sometimes that’s where it all goes wrong. If you push too hard, it can become frantic, thoughtless, and you can lose contact with the game, turning from monkeys into rhinoceroses, blundering off in the wrong directions as the opposition steps through the confusion to take the match.
But on Monday, we turned into lionesses. Haxby upped their game, but we upped it higher, galvanised with a new-found aggression. Every ball was a battle; the defenders lashed out to take the interceptions before tearing back to buffet the attackers out of their territory; across the centre-court, Beth, Al and Julia were relentless, with hard, fast balls disorienting their opponents and overwhelming the Haxby defenders; meanwhile, under the post, Calista and Rachel span, leapt and dove – and still somehow managed to find that otherworldly stillness needed to net us those all-important goals.

We ended the game 11 points up, with a decisive 43-32 victory.

Well done everyone on an awesome end to the season. We’re just two points off top of the table, after 8 thrilling victories and 2 very narrow defeats.

Now we just need to do it all over again after Christmas... Let’s just hope our opponents eat as many mince pies as I intend to :D Have a great Christmas everyone!