Yet another thriller saw Ribble finally come out on the right side of things to win their first game of the season against Capricorn in a contest that went right down to the wire.
The final score of 43-41 was a fair reflection of two teams that gave their all in a must win fixture.
Despite Ribble dominating most of the game, a late flurry from Capricorn saw a nail biting final quarter, but ultimately it was Ribble that came out on top.

Ribble came into the game with a couple of absentees as Jordan Balazs (illness) and Jemma Holden (unavailable) both missed out with Anna Johnson and Emma Dobson coming in.

The long journey and early start could not be noticed by a Ribble side who looked sharp in the warm up and they took that into the first quarter.

A commanding start saw the Lancashire side take an early three goal advantage, with teenage star Anja Haworth’s creativity on the circle edge helping Ribble’s shooters find the Capricorn net regularly.

The defence also stood firm in their usual manner, Kate Asbridge, Eleanor Jorgenson and Elisha Priestley once again impressing. Smothering most of the Merseyside team’s attacks.

Ribble’s intensity dipped slightly midway through the quarter but a strong final few minutes saw them lead 15-11 after the first.

In past games this season Ribble have been guilty of throwing away good starts in the second quarter, but it wasn’t to be this time.

An excellent team performance from the same seven that started the match looked as though it may be enough to seal the game.

Asbridge, who was named player of the match by the opposition, and named joint players player of the match by her peers, made a handful of interceptions and rebounds to kickstart her own sides attacks.

However just as Ribble were putting their foot down, perhaps tiredness interfered as the odd error crept into the side and the intensity dropped for five minutes, allowing Capricorn to score four on the bounce.

Shooter Freya McDermott Dean, coming into the game suffering from illness, had to be taken off suffering from dizziness and was replaced by Anna Johnson but the East Lancs girls managed to keep a 25-19 lead at the halfway mark.

Another topsy turvy quarter loomed in the third, Ribble started sluggishly but the defence yet again proved their worth.

Capricorn started strong, bringing themselves back within five and enjoying a good spell of pressure and the trio of Asbridge, Jorgenson and Priestley were called upon to keep their side ahead, battling hard around the defensive circle.

However, an improved second seven minutes saw Ribble increase their lead, a couple of sensational passes from captain Sophie Layfield, one of which surprised herself as she gave a wry smile to the bench, allowed Ribble two quick and easy shots to take the lead to seven.

Going into the final quarter Ribble led 37-28 and just needed a composed 15 minutes for them to chalk the first win of the season.

However, when you're out of the habit of winning the nerves can creep in.

After leading by seven, Capricorn cut the lead to six, then five, then four, then three, then two and then with just three minutes remaining they cut it to one.

Ribble have found themselves in similar positions this year, just losing out in the last quarter on several occasions and the nerves started to creep in. Even some of the bench couldn’t watch.

McDermott-Dean, had returned to the court despite her illness and was battling hard but it was her partner Hannah Fletcher, under the highest of pressure, who delivered for her side when they needed her the most sinking an incredible long bomb to widen the gap back to two.

Capricorn hit back and again brought the lead back to one but belief had returned and Ribble were able to score the last goal of the game to seal the win by two.

The victory saw Ribble lift to ninth in the table. A hard-fought win which overall they deserved, especially given how many other close games had gone against them earlier in the season.

The girls in the Green and Blue host Deeside next week, another crucial game in their bid to climb out of the extended four relegation places.

Report by Nathan Bailey

It was Groundhog Day for Ribble’s senior team in their latest NW Premier League fixture as they went down to yet another close defeat, this time to Manchester side Dominoes NC.

Still searching for their first win of the campaign, Ribble started with Jemma Holden at GD alongside Kate Asbridge at GK and Lee Priestley completing the defensive end at WD. Anja Haworth started C with Sophie Layfield at WA and the regular combination of Hannah Fletcher and Freya McDermott-Dean in attack. The game was part of a league decision to play all games at a central venue for the weekend. Rearranged from a Ribble home fixture to Wright Robinson College, Dominoes seemed inspired by the bonus that Wright Robinson was their own venue and they started strongly opening up a lead that ultimately the East Lancs side wouldn’t peg back.

An error strewn first quarter saw both team making mistakes, but it was the 10 unforced turnovers from Ribble that hamstrung their efforts and Dominoes took advantage to end the opening period 7-13 in front.

Ribble made one change, Jade Myers coming into the centre court for skipper Layfield. With Haworth moving to WA and McDermott-Dean finding her range and showing well for the ball in the circle Ribble began to edge back into the game. They got to within 3 on a couple of occasions only for the tide of the game to turn once more and an excellent and controlled quarter by Dominoes saw them extend their lead to 8 goals at the break. It was no more than Dominoes deserved for 30 minutes of netball in which they simply produced far fewer errors than their visitors.

With the game slipping away coach Kahlia Rocco took a gamble and shifted 15yr old Haworth to GA for her first ever senior quarter in that position. Jordan Balazs came into centre and Eleanor Jorgensen resumed her partnership with Asbridge in defence replacing the hard-working Holden.

For a while it looked like the punt on Haworth had paid off as she used all her centre court guile to ghost round the circle, feeding McDermott-Dean who would score 12 of Ribble’s 14 goals in the quarter. The comeback looked well and truly on as the deficit was reduced to just 2 goals and Haworth even sank a couple of shots of her own. But, just as has been the case all season so far, Ribble just couldn’t force home their advantage. Dominoes shooters, who were excellent all game under enormous pressure from the routinely excellent Asbridge, kept converting and a late turnover led to Dominoes holding onto a 6-goal lead at the end of Q3 at 31-37.

Into the last quarter and Dominoes learned their lesson. This time McDermott-Dean was double marked pretty much throughout and although Haworth continued to drive into good space in the circle it was now very difficult to get the ball to Ribble’s only recognised shooter. The inability to convert mid-court dominance into viable shooting chances began to tell and although McDermott-Dean was able to find the net 9 more times she and Haworth, forced to the edges by some smart Dominoes defending were unable to convert regularly enough to force the win or bonus point.

As with Q3, Dominoes controlled the game well under pressure, looking after the ball to give themselves breathing space and their shooters making the most of what came their way. Although the second half performance of Asbridge and Jorgensen ensured that wasn’t much it was enough to maintain their lead and at the final whistle they took the spoils 40-46.

Of all the games so far, this was perhaps the hardest to swallow as for the first time since the opening weekend, the Ribble girls knew they hadn’t quite produced their best. Credit must go to the Dominoes side who took full advantage in a game played in an excellent competitive spirit and they thoroughly deserved their win.

Ribble seniors’ coach Kahlia Rocco commented after the game “we’ve come such a long way since this time last year and there will be bumps in the road. Today was one of those bumps but we’ll regroup and come back stronger. The emotion in the squad is testament to how much they care, and I honestly believe we’re on the verge of a good run”.

​The NW Prem team enjoy a weekend off next before their next game away at Capricorn on the 23rd.

Ribble suffered yet another nail-biting defeat, this time to Tameside, going down 36-40 in front of their home supporters at Oakhill College.

In a game full of turnovers and rebounds, it was yet again the fourth quarter that decided the fate of the game, Tameside coping with the pressure just that bit better to see the game out.

Ribble would have felt confident coming into the tie, after a strong performance against Bury the week before, as well as welcoming back to the squad Hannah Fletcher and Jordan Balazs from injury and holiday absences respectively.

Jemma Holden started at GA alongside Freya McDermott-Dean and Balazs joined Sophie Layfield in the C and WA positions.

The game started franticly with both sides wasteful in possession of the ball and both defences enjoying many interceptions and turnovers.

Ribble’s defence was at its usual superb standard, Elisha Priestley was fantastic throughout the game, shutting down Tameside attacks with her constant energy and Eleanor Jorgenson and Kate Asbridge putting pressure on any attempt to get into the Ribble circle.

Once the game settled, the East Lancashire side took the lead due to a couple of penalties awarded, after smart movement by Holden and pinpoint passing from Layfield.

Freya McDermott Dean finished confidently and Ribble led 5-2 but from that point the quarter went disastrously wrong for the home side.

Tameside found rhythm and put real physical pressure on McDermott-Deans shooting, keeping her at mid-range and further and converting their own chances to score an impressive nine goals on the bounce, taking the score to 5-11 at the end of the first.

Ribble needed a response at the beginning of the second and that’s exactly what they did. Inspired by yet more incredible defensive work by Priestley, whose energy was unmatched, the introduction of Fletcher and more defensive circle turnovers the East Lancs girls thrilled the watching crowd with an incredible come back. Tameside had stretched their lead to 5-13 but with some fabulous shooting, including a couple of sublime long bombs by Fletcher, Ribble found themselves back level at 13-13.

Almost as if the players themselves were shocked the quarter then ebbed and flowed with a number of turnovers, both sides guilty of causing the game to turn a little scrappy.

The Ribble defence stayed strong, keeping out multiple Tameside attacks near the end of the quarter, allowing Ribble to take a slender lead of 20-19 at the halfway point.

The third quarter saw the introduction of Anja Haworth for Balazs as the Ribble coaches continued the plan to keep fresh legs at centre, Haworth continued where Balazs left off, with calm control and patient feeding of the circle. She and Layfield continued to link well with the shooters as McDermott-Dean took her usual physical pounding from defenders and Fletcher produced a miss free quarter.

GK Asbridge was immense, intercepting and taking defensive rebounds three times in as many minutes and Jorgensen taking two rebounds of her own as the Tameside shooting now came under pressure.

Neither side was able to shake off the other and both teams relied on their defences to keep the score within touching distance. Ribble excellent in the defensive circle and Tameside making it very difficult to move the ball through centre court. The umpires were called into play frequently with a flurry of cautions as both sets of players gave their all.

Going into the final quarter, the score was locked at 28-28.

As expected, the final chapter of the game was as ‘topsy turvy’ as it could have been.

Ribble, making no changes, took a two-goal advantage. Tameside clawed back but Ribble took the lead again. It was just one of those games that was filled with drama right until the final moments and the watching spectators in the excellent seating facilities could barely watch.

As Tameside pushed into a two-goal lead, Fletcher produced a couple of masterful shots to keep on the tails of the Tameside team. Haworth and Layfield were battling hard and that elusive first win felt within grasp at 35-34 up.

In any close game though late turnovers make all the difference and it was the Manchester side that came up with two of them, their shooters converting under the hottest of pressure to take them into a 4 goal lead that Ribble just didn't have time to pull back. The full time score 36-40 gave Ribble yet another additional bonus point for being within 5 goals but that felt like small consolation to the shattered Ribble squad.

Yet it's those bonus points that leave Ribble in a league position that provides hope for the remainder of the season. The table shaping up very much into two halves and the Whalley based side are still very much within striking distance of safety.

Despite an excellent performance from the whole team, Ribble suffered a two goal loss to Bury in their North West Regional Premier League clash.
 
Ribble led for the much of the first half, but Bury’s clinical shooting in the last quarter meant a harsh defeat in a game neither side really deserved to lose reports Nathan Bailey.
 
The East Lancashire side were encouraged by the return of Kate Asbridge after injury and also welcomed back Leeds Rhino’s Jade Myers whose appearances over the last two seasons have been severely restricted due to serious knee injuries but who returned from university to bolster the squad.
 
There was also a place for 17 year-old Anna Johnson, making her first premier league appearance of the season.
 
Ribble started the game very well from defence all the way through to attack, with a lot of the play running through Myers at centre, some smart shooting from Freya McDermott-Dean and excellent positional play from Jemma Holden at GA.
 
24 year old Holden was impressive throughout, moving from her normal defensive position to the attacking circle as injury kept Hannah Fletcher out. Every squad needs a Jemma Holden and her performance spoke volumes for her attitude and commitment to the team, a particular highlight being her somehow keeping a rebound in play from a seemingly impossible position and still finding partner McDermott-Dean to finish.
 
Bury had slick attacks of their own but as they tried to break into Ribble’s defensive circle, Asbridge and Eleanor Jorgenson stopped them in their tracks on a number of occasions.
 
WD Elisha Priestley was as lively as ever, quick to close down any Bury attack, creating intercepts and bringing the ball through court effectively as the visiting East Lancs side built a 10-3 lead. Just as it looked like they might get away however, the talented young Bury side dug deep and at the end of the first quarter, Ribble’s lead was cut to 14-10.
 
The second quarter saw Bury, who were never going to just roll over, come more and more into the game. After a series of scores traded on centre, Bury broke the sequence with a crucial turnover and scored three times on the bounce. Asbridge was having another commanding game for Ribble but despite being pushed to the edge of the circle quite a lot of the time, the Bury shooters were impressive and took their shots well from all ranges. Ribble’s lead was chipped away until Bury drew level for the first time shortly before half time with a chance to go ahead from a penalty shot after the whistle. The surprise that greeted Bury’s Kim Meadows missing it being a measure of her otherwise near faultless shooting exhibition.
 
A tactical change at half time saw Manchester Thunder prospect Anja Haworth move into Centre from Wing Attack, and the 15 year-old was quick to show just why she is rated so highly. After a couple of decisions went against her she picked herself up and performed valiantly both offensively and defensively in an incredible quarter that ebbed and flowed.
 
First Bury forged ahead for the first time in the game. With the excellent Taylor De-Klerk pulling the strings in the centre for the home team and Lizzie Nyhill using her pace to cause different problems for Asbridge and Jorgensen, Bury scored the first three goals. Haworth and skipper Sophie Layfield roared back, taking turn over ball from their defenders to goal where McDermott-Dean and her new partner Johnson scored the next three. There was a lot of pressure on teenager Johnson, on for the hard working Holden, and she kept her head to score two lovely goals from tricky distance.
 
Back came Bury again, scoring three more of their own but neither team seemed to know when it was beaten and from 27-30 down Ribble scored 5 without reply to go back ahead.
 
Could Ribble shake Bury off now? Not a bit of it. Back came YW with another treble and at the end of a breathless 15 minutes the two sides still couldn't be separated at 36 all.
 
McDermott-Dean was unbelievable throughout. Many would have forgiven her for feeling the pressure with Fletcher ruled out but you would never have known. She took on all responsibility and was clinical throughout, even with Bury’s national prem defender Tyrene Karim introduced at GK in an attempt to put a lid on her.
 
Both teams were matching each other in every respect, but so much credit should go to the Ribble defence who made interception after interception.
 
A nail-biting conclusion loomed.
 
And that it was, both sides unsurprisingly looked as though they were feeling the nerves as there were end to end turnovers, the Ribble defence proving tough to get past for the fourth quarter on the spin.
 
Bury edged ahead at 39-37 but back came Ribble to lead 39-40. With Myers back in at centre and Holden back at GA after a breather the visitors were hoping the fresh legs would do the trick. But it was Bury who began to finish the stronger. For the first time Ribble began to wobble and an ultimately decisive run of four goals with around five minutes left tipped the game Burys way.
 
Still the East Lancs girls would not give in, storming back from four down to get it back to 44-45 but with ball  in hand they coughed up a crucial turnover and the moment seemed to be lost. Meadows and Thunder U19 shooter Caitlin Sharkey sank some excellent pressure shots for the Greater Manchester side and the final whistle came at 47-45 to Bury. much to the frustration of a distraught Ribble side.
 
It was without doubt the performance of the season from the side that has been coached by Nat Haythornthwaite for the past month and should performances stay like that, results will no doubt improve.
 
Ribble head coach Jane Moodie said after the game “I was very proud of all the girls, they stepped up and played as a squad with all nine girls playing their part. That squad attitude is what will hopefully bring us the results their effort deserves”.
 
Ribble host Tameside in their next game this Saturday, a 12.30 start at Oakhill. Having played all of the leagues top four in their first five games they will now be looking to kick on and climb the table, currently sitting 10th of 12.

Last weekend saw Ribble’s NW Premier side defeated by joint top Oldham, despite showing moments of brilliance throughout the game.
The game was never going to be an easy one as Oldham had won all three of their previous league games and fielded a strong line up of their young talent as well as former Super League star Krista Enziano.
Ribble were without Defender Kate Asbridge, still nursing the effects of her rib injury, but were able to welcome back Jemma Holden and Elisha Preistley, who both started the game.
The Lancashire side would have been encouraged by the start too as Oldham didn’t settle as quickly as they might have liked, and a series of turnovers gave Ribble opportunities off Oldham centres but in a frenetic start they were unable to capitalise. Enziano showed her class under the posts, as did her young GA partner, England pathway prospect Grace Rimmer and as opportunities for Ribble came and went, Oldham started to show their talent, with slick moves and interceptions leading to easy chances for Enziano to finish. She rarely missed an opportunity with Ribble going from 2-1 up to 2-8 down in what felt the blink of an eye.
Towards the end of the first quarter, Ribble found a little bit of momentum, a highlight being from Freya McDermott-Dean who brilliantly managed to keep the ball in play and put in a fine shot, but it had been very much the visitors on top.
Despite being 17-7 down after the first quarter, Ribble came out firing.
A change brought Anja Haworth on at centre, moving Jordan Balazs to Wing Defence, who once again showed her consistency and talent to play in a number of positions, and Priestley back to GD where, despite not having height on her side against the tall Oldham pairing, she performed brilliantly in a role she played as a junior.
Ribble scored twice early on but Oldham hit back with a couple of their own as the game became a far more even contest. An inspired bit of defending from Jorgensen, now at GK, saw her tip a feed intended for Enziano and then manage to keep the ball in play, starting an attack of her own. Ribble took the ball to goal where Hannah Fletcher finished, sparking Ribble into life for three goals on the bounce.
Ribble were still trailing 31-21 at the half time break but a drawn second quarter certainly restored some hope.
The third quarter started well for Ribble and they continued to slug it out goal for goal until mid way, reducing the arrears to 9 but this was the turning point and where the talent of Oldham showed.  They were simply more clinical than Ribble, who despite great energy in defence, were ultimately outmatched on the day. Injury woes again beset the East Lancashire girls as Fletcher began to suffer with an existing back injury but when she called time her replacement Maya Nelson lasted only a few minutes before a finger injury forced her off too. Oldham had restored Thunder U21 centre court starlet Ebbie Danson-Chappel for the start of Q3 and she made a commanding return after 15 minutes rest and by the end of Q3 the lead stood at 43-28.
The Greater Manchester side continued their performance into the last quarter and at one point had scored 14 goals on the spin .
However, it was to Ribble’s enormous credit that they never once let their heads drop and ended with a late flourish. Balazs, Haworth and Sophie Layfield found reserves of energy to ensure any worry of Ribble not achieving a point for half score were ended and McDermott-Dean, moved to GA, dropped a series of mid-range goals to ease the nerves. When Fletchers injury finally became unmanageable Beth Tomlinson came on at GS to contribute goals of her own.
The final score was 62-37 to Oldham but Ribble shouldn’t be too disheartened by how they performed in spells. In patches, the young side matched one of the best sides in the league and plenty of positives could be taken from a hard fought but cleanly contested game.

Ribble Valley put in their best performance of the season so far against Chester NC in a feisty North West Premier match.

Chester, whose team featured Celtic Dragons NSL star Sophie Morgan, had won their first two games of the season whereas Ribble were still looking for their first win. With Elisha Priestley and Jemma Holden unavailable, Ribble handed a debut to new signing Emma Dobson and welcomed back Anja Haworth from injury.

It could have been argued that Ribble weren’t expecting much from the game but it was the East Lancashire side that took control of the first quarter.

There were a lot of early turnovers from both sides as neither team took the ascendancy, but resolute defending from Kate Asbridge, Eleanor Jorgenson and debutant Dobson allowed Ribble to compose themselves and eventually assert their dominance.

Jordan Balazs and captain Sophie Layfield were slick with their passes in attack as the Chester defence looked to have no answer at that stage, Balazs in particular impressing against her quality opponent Morgan. Clinical shooting in the latter stages of the quarter from Freya McDermott-Dean and the impressive Hannah Fletcher took Ribble into a six goal advantage, Ribble leading 12-6 at the end of the quarter.

Chester came out with a much improved start in the second quarter and scored three times quickly. Fletcher continued her fine game to stem the tide briefly with two outstanding goals from difficult distances and angles.  However the pressure of Chester’s quality mid-court began to tell and they harried Ribble into some rushed passes and interchanges that led to turnover opportunities and Ribble’s lead by half way was cut to 19-16.

The third quarter saw the return of 15 year old Haworth who had been sidelined the last couple of weeks due to a back injury and the Manchester Thunder pathway player, replacing Balazs at centre, was as impressive as ever.

Ribble started well, going 6 clear again, but Chester came out with an ultra competitive approach and started to grow more and more into the quarter. A dominant period saw them score seven times on the bounce to take the lead briefly for the first time. An injury change for Ribble saw Balazs return to court for the skipper Layfield who was feeling the effects of an ankle injury and hard work all round saw Ribble manage to regain a slender 28-26 lead going into the final quarter.

Yet the biggest talking point of the third came as it was just about to end. A Jorgensen interception for Ribble saw them move the ball quickly down the court and with all eyes following play Kate Asbridge sadly found herself on the wrong end of an elbow leaving her visibly distressed and struggling to breath.

The 25 year old bravely tried to carry on into the fourth quarter but quickly succumbed, later requiring hospital treatment.

The substitution of Asbridge denied the Lancashire side a key player and forced changes in personnel and positions across the court. Maya Nelson came on to join Hannah Fletcher in attack with McDermott-Dean moving to her Leeds Rhinos position at GK.

The changes disrupted Ribble and, with 6 minutes to go of the 60, Chester took the lead for just the second time in the game. Captain Layfield, returning to court despite ongoing discomfort, did her best to rally her troops but a streetwise home side were allowed to physically impose themselves on the game and in the end Ribble went down in the final few minutes by a mere two goals.

​This was without doubt Ribble’s best performance of the season and a lot of positives were taken having played against a side who qualified for the national league play-offs last year.

Ribble next entertain Oldham this weekend (12/10) at Oakhill with a 12.30 start in what promises to be another great game.

Report by Nathan Bailey

Ribble Valley lost the second game of the season against Warrington, despite a courageous second half comeback.

This was Ribble’s first home game of the season and a hasty change of venue meant that the match was to be played at the same venue used in the 2018/19 season, rather than Oakhill college due to a small leak from the bad weather.

Ribble were up against Warrington who lost their first game of the season by just the one goal so a tough test was to come.

15-year-old Anja Haworth was ruled out due to injury and Ella Barton was unavailable so Ribble included débutante Issy Taylor and 16yr old Maya Nelson joining Beth Tomlinson on an inexperienced looking bench.

Kate Asbridge overcame an ankle knock picked up in the warmup and once again showed her maturity, experience and skill playing in her usual position of GK with her defensive partners Eleanor Jorgensen and later Jemma Holden providing top support.

Both teams started brightly in the first quarter and straight away there was a sense this was going to be a feisty game.

Hannah Fletcher found herself in a physical battle with the Warrington GD and GK but it was hers and Freya McDermott-Dean’s slick circle interchange that kept Ribble on the tail of their counterparts.

After the first quarter Warrington had a slender lead of 12-10.

The second quarter saw Warrington come firing out of the blocks and score four quick goals on the bounce after successful turnovers.

Despite great defensive efforts from Ribble, Warrington’s shooting was faultless and that took them into a commanding 26-16 lead at half time.

At the break, Fletcher had to be substituted after injuring her back and was replaced by youngster Nelson who came on at the unfamiliar position of GA, but the teenager took her chance with both hands and played her part in a quarter which saw Ribble score 14 times!

Both Nelson and McDermott-Dean, who had a great game at GS, showed composure under pressure as the tough visiting defence forced a physical battle for every feed into the circle.

The reliable middle trio of  Jordan Balazs, Elisha Preistley and captain Sophie Layfield, who was voted player of the match by Warrington, found a new gear as they reasserted themselves on the Warrington centre court and showed patience and skill when in possession of the ball.

There was a moment of worry as a nasty collision saw McDermott-Dean come down head first after a high ball ended with her and the visiting goal defence colliding. Thankfully though, she bravely picked herself up and continued to play, sinking the resulting penalty from distance.

Going into the final quarter Ribble had cut the lead to 38-30.

The final quarter saw neither side take a clear ascendancy and the quarter became somewhat niggly as the East Lancashire outfit pushed to close the gap and Warrington battled hard to maintain their cushion. There was a Warrington player cautioned for delaying play, a series of toss ups as the umpires looked to decipher the rolling battle between Nelson, McDermott-Dean and the visiting defence and a few stern words for the Ribble bench as passions bubbled up.

Despite outscoring Warrington again in the final quarter it wasn’t quite enough and Ribble finished on the losing side, 45-38 the final score.

In true netball style the on court contest was instantly forgotten in a warm and friendly post match refreshment break and both sides will look forward to the return fixture in the new year.

Ribble travel to Chester this weekend, hoping for a first win.