Celtic Dragons Go In Search Of First Netball Superleague Victory

Celtic Dragons head North in search of their first Vitality Superleague netball win of the season this weekend.

Dragons play Manchester Thunder away on Saturday (5pm) and the hosts are just above them in the table.

Thunder earned their first win, a 53-49 success against Sirens at home, in their last fixture and captain Emma Dovey said: “It was great to get the first win.

“Our first two games didn’t go how we wanted, but we’re really happy with that win.

“The fans lifted us and were our eighth player.

“We’d looked at our fourth quarters, which had been letting us down. We addressed that against Sirens and had – almost – four consistent quarters.”

Thunder’s player of the match was Gabriella Marshall, who used a number of inventive feeds into her waiting shooters.

Bea Skingsley, Marshall and Beccy Hoult were the centre court trio who imposed themselves and played key roles in the victory.

Superleague fixtures this weekend:

Saturday: Manchester Thunder v Celtic Dragons (5pm), Surrey Storm v Herts Mavericks (6pm), Severn Stars v Team Bath (7.30pm), Wasps v Loughborough Lightning (7.45pm).

There is also one fixture on Monday when Team Northumbria are at home against Sirens.

The trip to Manchester is a fourth away fixture for Dragons, who must wait until April to play at home when Loughborough Lightning will be the visitors to Cardiff on Monday, April 3 (7.45pm).

Details of all the Celtic Dragons fixtures and tickets for their home games can be found on www.celticdragonsnetball.com

Celtic Dragons team:

Leila Thomas. GK/GD. Aged 18, from Blaenavon.

Fern Davies. GD. Aged 20, from Holywell.

Lois Rideout. GK/WD/GD. Aged 25, from Ferndown, Dorset.

Kelly Morgan. GK/GD. Aged 29, from Bridgend.

Suzy Drane (captain). WD/C/WA. Aged 29, from St Mellons.

Bethan Dyke. C/WA. Aged 25, from Bridgend.

Stacey Peeters. WD/C. Aged 24, from Gore, New Zealand.

Kyra Jones. WD/C/WA. Aged 31, from Perth, Australia. Wales senior international.

Sara Bell. WA/GA/GS. Aged 26, from Llanelli.

Lydia Hitchings. GA/GS. Aged 19, from Vale of Glamorgan.

Kalifa McCollin. WA/GA/GS. Aged 21, from Trinidad and Tobago.

Eleanor Roberts. GA/GS. Aged 21, from Pontypool.

Head coach: Trish Wilcox.