Celtic Dragons wowed their Green Army fans when they turned on the style against champions Wasps in front of a sell-out attendance in Cardiff.
Coventry-based Wasps have won back-to-back Vitality Netball Superleague titles, going on to lift the Championship play-off trophy each time, and are clear at the top this season.
Dragons, though, produced a quality team display despite suffering a 46-58 defeat at the Sport Wales National Centre.
Wasps, clearly, had the edge overall, but Dragons pushed their visitors all the way and two of the quarters finished level.
Both teams were composed from the start and shared six goals with no turnovers.
Dragons Wing-Defence Nia Jones produced a moment of magic when she picked off a pass and sparked a run to give the home team a three-goal lead.
Dragons maintained high standards throughout, but Wasps’ Goal-Attack Katie Harris scored a number of impressive goals to keep her team ahead.
“A massive thank you to the #greenarmyfans,” tweeted Dragons centre Kyra Jones. “It was amazing to be able to play in front of you all and your support is great.
“Solid performance against a strong Wasps team. We still have few corrections to make to be better again.”
Dragons captain Nia Jones said: “Amazing atmosphere.
“Gutted we couldn’t run Wasps even harder – but a performance we can build on. Diolch @celtic_dragons fans for turning up in full force.”
The visiting Black and Golds extended their 100 per cent record and are now the only team remaining with a perfect record in Superleague.
Coach Mel Mansfield said: “This was a big three points.
“It was a physical game but the second half is always strong for us and we were able to make some changes to give our players a rest ahead of Friday’s trip to Bath.
“We managed to get all of our squad on the court.
“There is a great vibe in this team at the moment. The strength of this team is the depth of our squad and we’re using that strength brilliantly.”
Wasps’ ability to seamlessly rotate off the bench in the latter stages of the match was a crucial factor.
Mid-court player Amy Flanagan was outstanding for Wasps, while resilient Dragons battled fiercely over the 60 minutes.
Stacian Facey and Dee Bolakoro both made crucial, beautifully times interceptions, while there was a quality moment when Suzy Drane showed her experience to steal a Wasps backline pass.
Abby Tyrrell and Clare Elsley, on for Kyra Jones at centre, linked up well as the home side looked to maintain standards to the end.
Kalifa McCollin’s workrate across the court was exceptional and another drawn quarter was just rewards for Dragons who gave the league leaders plenty to think about.
Dragons were aggressive defensively, but Wasps led by seven at half-time and powered on to earn an away victory.
Head Coach Tania Hoffman said: “Overall we were competitive against a highly experienced Wasps team. Dragons players really showed some grit.”
Celtic Dragons starting seven: GK Stacian Facey; GD Dee Bolakoro; WD Nia Jones; C Kyra Jones; WA Suzy Drane; GA Kalifa McCollin; GS Chelsea Lewis. Replacements: Lucy Howells, Lucy Herdman, Abby Tyrrell, Clare Elsey, Eleanor Roberts.
Wasps starting seven: GK Hannah Knights; GD Fran Williams; WD Amy Flanagan; C Jade Clarke; WA Bongi Msomi; GA Katie Harris; GS Rachel Dunn. Replacements (all used): Sophia Candappa (WA), Sam May (WD), Josie Huckle (GK), Chloe Essam (GA); Tamsin Moala (GS).
Scores (Dragons v Wasps)
Quarter one: 13-13
Quarter two: (10-16) 23-29
Quarter three (11-17) 34-46
Quarter four: (12-12) 46-58
Loughborough Lightning’s shock 60-65 away win inflicted a first loss of the season on Manchester Thunder in round six of the Superleague.
Lightning head coach Sara Bayman, a former Thunder captain, admitted the win at Belle Vue was a surprise.
“It’s a special win, but also a bit of a shock because of how badly we played the week before,” said Bayman.
“Not many teams will go to Manchester and come away with a positive result.
Saracens Mavericks overpowered Team Bath 68-45 and lifted themselves above Thunder in the table .
Bath’s showing was in part due to the absence of their two Commonwealth champions, Serena Guthrie and Eboni Usuro-Brown, but Mavericks were in ruthless form.
They led 35-22 at half-time and ended the game with a 23-goal cushion.
“It was great to get the win thanks to a fantastic team performance,” said Mavericks’ centre Gabby Marshall.
Severn Stars lost 46-55 to Surrey Storm, while Strathclyde Sirens won 60-54 against London Pulse.
| Superleague table 2019 | ||||
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points |
| Wasps | 5 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
| Saracens Mavericks | 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Manchester Thunder | 5 | 4 | 1 | 12 |
| Team Bath | 5 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| Surrey Storm | 6 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Loughborough Lightning | 6 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Strathclyde Sirens | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Celtic Dragons | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Severn Stars | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| London Pulse | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
Celtic Dragons TICKETS
Dragons results/fixtures 2019 – home games played at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.
Celtic Dragons 41, Team Bath 58
January
Saturday 12 London Pulse 40, Celtic Dragons 67
Friday 25 Severn Stars 57, Celtic Dragons 40
February
Monday 4 Celtic Dragons 44, Saracens Mavericks 66
Friday 8 Strathclyde Sirens 46, Celtic Dragons 50
Monday 18 Celtic Dragons 46, Wasps 58
Monday 25 v Manchester Thunder (home, 7pm)
March
Saturday 2 v Surrey Storm (away, 6pm)
Saturday 9 v Loughborough Lightning (home, 4pm)
Saturday 16 v Team Bath (away, 5pm)
Monday 25 v London Pulse (home, 7pm)
Saturday 30 v Severn Stars (home, 4pm)
April
Saturday 6 v Manchester Storm (away, 5pm)
Saturday 3 v Strathclyde Sirens (home, 4pm)
Saturday 20 v Saracens Mavericks (away, midday)
Sunday 21 v Wasps (away, midday)
Saturday 27 v Surrey Storm (home 4pm)
May
Saturday 4 Loughborough Lightning v Celtic Dragons (6pm)
For home match ticket information click on the Dragons name Celtic Dragons