If spectators were permitted to attend the Wakefield Arena on Monday evening they would have probably heard an audible sigh of relief from coach Samantha Bird, and her 15-strong squad at the sound of the final whistle of London Pulse’s 56-29 win over Celtic Dragons. If Pulse fans were there, there might have been a similar expression of relief.
With five losses from their first five games of the Superleague, a season that started with great optimism was in danger of becoming a season to forget for Pulse, but with their first win of the season under their belt, Pulse will now be keen to make the steep climb up the Superleague summit.
Fast Start
The game was all but won after a Pulse assault in the second quarter which saw them score 20 points with just three in reply from the dazed Dragons. Sigi Burger was typically efficient in the Goal Circle, profiting from impressive ball retention from Pulse’s mid-court, and Kira Rothwell’s precise passing from Goal Attack.
There was patience and calmness to Pulse’s attacks where in previous games they were frenetic and one-dimensional, and this proved fruitful for the majority of the game.
The dominant second quarter was all the more important for Pulse after the Dragons were able to force their way back into the match at the end of the first reducing a seven-point gap to just four by the end of the first 12 minutes.
Pulse Centre, Ellie Rattu provided a spark in the first quarter that had been missing from Pulse’s season thus far – producing a variety of assists for Burger from seemingly impossible positions and directing the pace of the game from the early stages, helping her team to the best start possible.
But, having rushed into such a dominative lead during the first, the Dragons would have been delighted to reach the end of the first quarter just four adrift at 13-9.
Defensively Dominant
Having seen her side leak quick points at the end of the first quarter, the defensive display from her team in the second is what would have pleased coach Bird the most. Pulse were dominant in the court press, and nobody exemplified this more than Wing Defence Funmi Fadoju.
At her best, the England U21 international makes the game impossible for the opposing attack, and Monday evening represented her imperious best as she dominated Dragons’ attack with numerous interceptions and turnovers, and was the individual personification of the determined and energetic Pulse.
Having started the third quarter with a seemingly insurmountable 21 point lead, Pulse introduced Lindsay Keable and Olivia Tchine for the start of the second half.
Without ever being in danger of losing the game, the substitution of the lively Rothwell toward the end of the quarter stole some attacking momentum from Pulse and the Dragons became more comfortable in defence. Vital interceptions from Fadoju and Halimat Adio late in the quarter ensured Pulse edged the third overall.
Resounding Win
The fourth quarter saw Pulse return to their merciless best as they asserted their dominance over the Dragons. Lefebre Rademan who came on in the previous quarter produced her most encouraging performance in a pink shirt since joining in the off-season, producing several eye-catching bursts and point contributions, and Fadoju and Adio were as inescapable as ever, rounding off a productive day for Pulse which also saw Monique Thompson and Izzy Stibbs make their debuts for the club.
Speaking to Sky Sports immediately after the game, Bird Said, “[winning] really does matter – at the end of the day, this is a competition. We’re trying to achieve our best, and we haven’t done that up until this weekend. But this has been a real turning point for us and give[s] us real confidence pushing on.”
