Marble Arc takes Netball League title in last quarter battle against Elite

Gibraltar netball could not have asked for a better finale to their league title campaign as the two top teams in the first division came face to face on Wednesday.
The match played at Bayside Comprehensive school’s sports hall saw Marble Arc come up against Elite. Both teams with national players within their ranks now bidding for a place in the national squad for the Open Challenge tournament was always expected to have some moments of excitement.
Thos watching were not to b disappointed as Marble Arc and Elite provided a full four quarter contest which only saw eventual winners Marble Arc edge ahead with some distance in points in the final quarter.
The scene was set from the first quarter in which Marble Arc edged narrowly ahead from Elite with a 10-9 lead.
There was little to separate the two as they arrived into the final quarter with the score at 22-21, Marble Arc maintaining their narrow lead into the short break. Some outstanding performances from both team’s defences maintaining the high octane levels of excitement on the court as they contest for the right to be proclaimed this seasons league champions.
With just the one point lead there was all to play for. Marble Arc was to jump ahead in the final quarter outgunning Elite on the scoreboard as they tallied the points. Marble Arc eventually claiming the league title with a 33-25 victory, the eight point difference far from telling the full story of what was an intense highly contested match.
Players will now be looking towards the preparations for the national’s squad Europe Netball Open Challenge tournament in Cardiff this May.
Gibraltar will be one of nine teams participating with netball France, Isle of Man, Israel, Malta, Ireland, Switzerland, UAE and a development squad from Wales all making up the rest of the field.
Gibraltar will also see Nadine Pardo-Zammit as one of the umpires in what will be another highly contested tournament with some teams like France which Gibraltar have not met before.