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Celtic Dragons faced a former team-mate when they travelled to play benecosMavericks in Vitality Netball Superleague action.
Shooter Kalifa McCollin, a Trinidad and Tobago senior international, spent last season playing for Dragons and impressed during her time in South Wales.
Dragons made the decision to go with an all-Wales Superleague squad for 2018 when their players would also be preparing for the Commonwealth Games.
They gave up the chance to include two import players.
McCollin now plays for Mavericks and, while she wasn’t included in the starting seven, scored heavily against her old team during spells on court.
The starting seven for Mavericks was Karyn Bailey (GS), Alice Travis (GA), Sasha Corbin (WA), Gabs Marshall (C), Zara Jael (WD), Lindsay Keable (GD) and Razia Quashie (GK).
Their 68-36 win against Dragons ensured they maintained pressure on Superleague’s top two Wasps and Loughborough Lightning.
The home team took a commanding 16-8 lead in the first quarter and continued to pile on the pressure.
Player of the match Karyn Bailey and McCollin scored heavily against Dragons, who are second from bottom in the table as they search for an elusive third win of the season after 11 games.
Australian head coach Julie Hoornweg and her team have seven Superleague fixtures left and would love to double their number of victories.
They still have to play bottom club UWS Sirens home and away, Dragons also travel to Team Northumbria, who are level on points having played two games more than the Celtic club.
The Welsh team also take on Severn Stars, the Worcester-based team who have a three point advantage and have played an extra fixture.
The next home game for Dragons at their Sport Wales National Centre home in Cardiff is against Manchester Thunder next Friday, May 25 (7pm), while they head to Scotland for their away clash with Sirens on Bank Holiday Monday (May 28).
Celtic Dragons fixtures and results
February
Monday 12: Celtic Dragons 49, benecosMavericks 61
Saturday 17: Celtic Dragons 35, Team Bath 54
Saturday 24: Loughborough Lightning 69, Celtic Dragons 45
Monday 26: Celtic Dragons 55, Surrey Storm 50
March
Saturday 3: Manchester Thunder v Celtic Dragons (postponed, rearranged for June 11, 7pm)
Saturday 10: Celtic Dragons 49, Severn Stars 40
Sunday 18: Wasps Netball 74, Celtic Dragons 32
April
Saturday 28: Celtic Dragons 51 Team Northumbria 56
May
Friday 4: Team Bath 66, Celtic Dragons 39
Monday 7: Surrey Storm 70, Celtic Dragons 42
Monday 14: Celtic Dragons 38, Loughborough Lightning 66
Saturday 19: benecosMavericks 68, Celtic Dragons 36
Friday 25: Celtic Dragons v Manchester Thunder, 7pm
Monday 28: UWS Sirens v Celtic Dragons, 7pm
June
Saturday 2: Team Northumbria v Celtic Dragons, 6pm
Saturday 9: Celtic Dragons v Wasps Netball, 4pm
Monday 11: Manchester Thunder v Celtic Dragons, (Wright Robinson College, 7pm)
Saturday 16: Celtic Dragons v UWS Sirens, 4pm
Monday 25: Severn Stars v Celtic Dragons, 7:30pm
Superleague fixtures:
May
Monday 21
Team Bath v Team Northumbria (7pm, live on Sky television)
Friday 25
Celtic Dragons v Manchester Thunder (7pm)
Saturday 26 UWS Sirens v Team Bath (2pm)
benecosMavericks v Team Northumbria (6pm)
Wasps v Loughborough Lightning (7pm)
Monday 28
Surrey Storm v Severn Stars (7pm)
VITALITY SUPERLEAGUE 2018
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | + | – | +/- | GA | Pts |
| 1 | Wasps Netball | 12 | 12 | 0 | 776 | 531 | 245 | 1.46 | 36 |
| 2 | Loughborough Lightning | 13 | 10 | 3 | 767 | 626 | 141 | 1.23 | 30 |
| 3 | benecosMavericks | 12 | 9 | 3 | 680 | 598 | 82 | 1.14 | 27 |
| 4 | Manchester Thunder | 12 | 9 | 3 | 681 | 619 | 62 | 1.10 | 27 |
| 5 | Team Bath | 11 | 8 | 3 | 582 | 522 | 60 | 1.11 | 24 |
| 6 | Surrey Storm | 12 | 3 | 9 | 629 | 670 | -41 | 0.94 | 9 |
| 7 | Severn Stars | 12 | 3 | 9 | 570 | 628 | -58 | 0.91 | 9 |
| 8 | Team Northumbria | 12 | 2 | 10 | 548 | 687 | -139 | 0.80 | 6 |
| 9 | Celtic Dragons | 11 | 2 | 9 | 471 | 674 | -203 | 0.70 | 6 |
| 10 | UWS Sirens | 11 | 1 | 10 | 477 | 626 | -149 | 0.76 | 3 |
