Photo Credit: Morgan Harlow
AO Manchester Thunder claimed their 5th league title this weekend after beating defending Champions London Pulse in the Soft and Gentle Grand Final, in show stopping fashion.
The game went goal for goal in the opening stages with nothing able to separate the two sides until the end of the third quarter, when Thunder went on a run and were able to extend their lead to six goals.
However, Pulse refused to back down with England Rose Sophie Kelly scoring an Amex Super Shot to bring the scores back to 49 – 49 with two minutes to go, staging a nail-biting finish for the crowd.
Thunder then said, ‘anything you can do, we can do better’, as England Rose Eleanor Cardwell and Australian Sophie Fawns stepped up in the dying seconds netting Amex Super Shots under pressure and winning their side the Grand Final 54 – 51.
Fawns went on to be awarded the Grand Final Experience Kissimmee Player of the Match, in what was her first NSL season.
Thunders 5th NSL title puts them level with Team Bath for the most NSL titles in history.
Meanwhile the NSL announced their end of season award winners with England Rose Jayda Pechová sweeping the board wining Player of the Year, Fans Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, as well as being named as the best goal keeper in the Soft & Gentle All-Star Seven following a history making season with Nottingham Forest in which they made the Finals Series for the first time.
Other accolades include Coach of the Year, which went to LexisNexis Dragons Reinga Bloxham after she led Dragons to their highest finish in over a decade, whilst Loughborough Lightning’s Trinidad & Tobago shooter Samantha Wallace-Joseph was awarded both the Amex Super Shooter and Gilbert Top Goal Scorer awards.
International fans can catch up on the Grand Final on NetballPass*, here.
International fans can also now catch up on the full season on demand on NetballPass*, here.
*Restrictions are in place – Viewers in the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, France and Poland will not be able to watch via NetballPass. Those in the UK will be able to watch all games across Sky Sports and BBC Sport, with more information here.