Loughborough-based visitors TFC were just too strong for Linda Andrew’s team at Fort Regent, leaving the Islanders bottom of the table before this Sunday’s away trip to London Olympic venue the Copper Box Arena to face Leyton.
The Caesareans were struggling to stay inside the half-score margin at one point in Q3 and again early in Q4, and although they ended up being well inside the score required for a losing bonus point captain Jacy Brown admitted they were just not firing well enough.
‘We’re doing all the right things before the games and the energy feels good, but then as soon as we step on court it just doesn’t happen,’ she said.
‘It seems that we can rise against the good teams at the top of the league, but then against other teams we don’t … we have to get that lead and push on. When things begin to go wrong we’re struggling to get ourselves together and fight back.
‘Everyone has got to be responsible for their own energy and motivation.’
However, it is not as if Jets have had it all their own way off-court of late.
‘We’ve had five injuries recently, and even big teams in the UK would struggle with that,’ said Brown, who was again disappointed with some of the calls (or lack of) made by the umpires.
‘This game is probably one where we could have done with a deep squad.’
Jets may have suffered a seventh loss of the season last weekend, but their performance against table toppers Sussex Thunder left both players and coaches with a feeling of accomplishment. They dragged themselves back from four and seven goals down to leave their unbeaten opponents worried, and that promising display was required again to have any hope of signing off at home for 2018 with a smile.
They would not have planned on spending the majority of another match chasing tails, though.
Only nine players were on call for the home fixture, so the importance of starting strong through the starting seven was perhaps more crucial than usual.
However, TFC’s defence proved a huge problem for Jets’ attackers in the opening two quarters, while the visiting shooters had the upper hand at their end of the court.
At 12-6 down Andrews swapped Rena Nelson for Tallula Norman at goal-attack, but TFC continued to break down their hosts’ play all too easily and only extended their advantage further. Jets managed just three goals in the first 12 minutes of Q2, and found themselves ten down before half-time.
Things were not clicking, and the goals just would not come.
Abbie Le Marquand was introduced at wing-attack in place of Rosie Tonner in another attempt to shift the momentum, but TFC just kept marching on. They were faster, more accurate, more determined … better all across the court. It was difficult viewing for Jets supporters, whose only relief was to watch their side score the final goal to win the final period 13-11.
Kent County – only behind Jets on points difference before the encounter – beat Norfolk United to leapfrog their old foes up into ninth.
