Lightning Beat Thunder To Go Second In Nsl

Loughborough Lightning kept up nan unit connected Netball Super League leaders London Pulse pinch a 65-53 triumph against Manchester Thunder connected Friday.

Thunder had nan amended of nan early stages, but Lightning fought backmost to lead 38-27 astatine half-time.

The hosts scored 27 much points aft nan break to unafraid triumph and move 3 points supra Thunder, aft starting nan evening tied connected 16 points.

Samantha Wallace-Joseph scored 23 goals for Lightning, while Thunder's Elmere van der Berg led nan scoring pinch 27 goals.

Lightning's Shadine van der Merwe was named subordinate of nan lucifer for her capacity against her erstwhile team.

Reigning champions Lightning began nan play pinch 2 wins and 2 defeats, but a 4th consecutive triumph puts them 2nd successful nan standings, 2 points down Pulse having played 1 crippled more.

Loughborough Lightning's Shadine van der Merwe speaking to Sky Sports: "I've done my homework. It was important for america arsenic a squad to suffocate them, and for past beryllium rewarded. That's precisely what happened, but without nan players astir maine I couldn't person done that.

"With each triumph we celebrate, but it's specified a short turnaround truthful we person to attraction connected nan adjacent one.

"We've conscionable passed nan halfway people but we've still sewage truthful overmuch maturation to do. It's breathtaking what comes ahead."

Manchester Thunder caput coach Karen Greig: "I'm not overly happy pinch nan performance, we knew precisely what Loughborough were going to travel retired and do to america and we played consecutive into their traps.

"They group immoderate traps wherever they had their defenders playing successful divided circle, and we played into their hands galore times. Not learning successful those moments and adapting is not OK.

"We've sewage to guidelines up to nan physicality of nan game.

"We haven't sewage a 60-minute extremity onslaught astatine nan minute. We're playing pinch 18 and 19-year-olds retired there, we're having to activity really difficult to support legs and minds fresh."

Lightning caput coach Vic Burgess: "That capacity wasn't perfect, but to grind retired a capacity against a coagulated squad for illustration Thunder - I'm really proud of them, but there's still tons to activity on."

Round eight

Friday 2 May

Loughborough Lightning 65-53 Manchester Thunder

Saturday 3 May

London Mavericks v Cardiff Dragons (16:00 BST)

Sunday 4 May

Nottingham Forest v London Pulse (16:00 BST)

Birmingham Panthers v Leeds Rhinos (18:00 BST)