Funmi Fadoju and Kamogelo Maseko were instrumental in leading the London Pulse to a 56-46 victory over the London Mavericks during the opening night of week seven in the Netball Super League.
Despite the absence of their injured star goal shooter Liv Tchine for the second consecutive match, Maseko and Sophie Kelly stepped up, contributing 27 and 16 goals, respectively.
„When you have someone like Liv out, you do realize we have so much other strength on the bench like Kamo [Maseko] and Sophie [Kelly],“ said Fadoju, who was named player of the match.
She added, „They work so hard in training to build those connections, and it’s working so well. I’m proud of the hard work they’ve been putting in, grinding every single session, learning how to execute the triangles and the screens. They were exceptional.“
The Pulse quickly established a commanding 12-1 lead within the first ten minutes, prompting Mavericks coach Tamsin Greenway to call for an early tactical timeout.
Emma Thacker made a significant impact for the Mavericks, scoring three two-point super shots that helped narrow the gap to just four points by the end of the third quarter.
However, the Pulse maintained their composure and finished the match strongly, securing a victory that brought them level on 18 points with the league-leading Loughborough Lightning, who are set to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday, April 11, at 19:00 BST.
„We knew we had a very strong first quarter, but then had to push on. We know we let them back into the game,“ Fadoju remarked.
Pulse head coach Sam Bird expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, „I’m pleased with how we finished the game. We showed we have a lot in the tank to finish strong.“
On Saturday, the LexisNexis Dragons will host the Birmingham Panthers in Cardiff, with the match broadcast live on BBC Sport at 16:00 BST, followed by the Manchester Thunder taking on the Leeds Rhinos at 17:00 BST.
