Vipers fail to stop Marlins from taking fifth victory in Netball Super League

By REDintern Chan Hui Mui

Jurong East Sports Hall, March 22, 2009 – The Vipers failed to hold off the Marlins despite taking a nine-point lead at half time and eventually succumbed 35-37 in their Netball Super League match.

Marlins started off the game by scoring the first goal but didn’t score their second for another four minutes. By then, the Vipers had taken a comfortable seven-point lead. The Vipers maintained the lead and took the quarter 13-5.

Marlins tried to close the gap in second quarter but the effort failed to threaten the Vipers. Accurate shooting from Vipers GS Rachael Yim and GA Tan Hui Yan gave Marlins no chance to catch up and they entered the third quarter with a nine-point 23-14 lead.

In the third quarter, Marlins went all out to close up the gap by forcing the Vipers into turnovers. Excellent defence by the Marlins gave their shooters more attempts and they managed to narrow the gap to only five points.

In the fourth quarter, Marlins made every turnover count and with 4:47 minutes left, they evened the game up at 33-33. Marlins then converted their centre pass into a goal and took their first lead with 3:48 to go. They never let the lead go again and finished off the Vipers 37-35 to record their fifth straight win.

Marlins coach Sng Lee Lee was proud of her team.

“Despite being down in the first half of the game, I was confident that [the girls] would make it,” said coach Lee Lee. “99% chance Marlins will make it to the final.”

In another game, the Sharks lost narrowly to the Stingrays 43-44.