By guest columnist, Peter Ryan

The LexisNexis Dragons and London Pulse put on an electrifying clash over the Bank Holiday weekend in a game that regular time could not resolve.

Every ounce of energy was poured into the contest, and, in the end, the London side escaped with a dramatic 67–66 win. Yet the Dragons’ spirit, resilience, and fight were there for all to see.

The Dragons headed into the contest on a three-game winning streak and the visitors struck first, with Georgia Rowe opening the scoring.

The early momentum stayed with the Dragons as they took an early 7–0 lead. However, the home side found their rhythm in the first quarter, ending it with Pulse on 18 and the Dragons on 12.

The second and third quarters were tight and competitive, with just three points separating the two sides at the end of the third quarter. It was the closing moments that really got the heart rate up.

Mirroring what happened last weekend against Leeds, Jacqui Newton made a vital interception which led to a Niamh McCall super shot to bring the game within a single point.

In the closing moments of the contest, tensions were high, and the Dragons needed a crucial goal. McCall stepped up to score the goal that would take the game to extra time.

It was 56–56 going into extra time; however, it wasn’t meant to be for the Dragons, as Kamolego Maseko scored the winner to end the game 67–66.

Fine margins decided the game, and the numbers tell the story of a contest that was balanced right until the very end.

The statistics tell an interesting tale of how the game unfolded. Pulse scored more regular goals, with 53 compared to the Dragons’ 40, but the visitors tallied 13 super shots.

The Dragons held the advantage in many categories, including 18 gains, 77 feeds, and 13 pickups.

The London team dominated the rebounds, accumulating almost double the opposition’s total with 10, while also keeping their error count low with only seven unforced errors.

Rowe was once again the Dragons’ top goalscorer with 26 goals, while Phillipa Yarranton added 11.

On the Pulse’s side, Liv Tchine was the contest’s top scorer with 37 goals, while Maseko contributed 11. Tchine also led the rebounds alongside her team-mate Halimat Adio, with four each. From the Dragons’ perspective, Leah Middleton and Rowe each secured two rebounds.

After the result, the Dragons still remain in fifth place with 19 points, thanks to five wins and eight losses. They have scored 768 points this campaign and conceded 801.

Next week, the Welsh side will face sixth-place London Mavericks, who, similar to the Dragons, are coming off a narrow loss to the Birmingham Panthers.

Pulse sit third, with the title race still very much alive, as they are one point behind Manchester Thunder and Loughborough Lightning.

It was a thrilling battle from start to finish, with neither side giving an inch. If this contest is any indication, both teams have the quality and belief to chase major results moving forward.

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