Tuesday 19 April 2016 08:28, UK
Manchester Thunder retained their position at the top of the Vitality Superleague table with a dominant 67-43 win over Roses rivals Yorkshire Jets.
Having established a three-point cushion at the weekend with a win at Surrey and Hertfordshire's defeat to Bath, Dan Ryan's team closed in on top spot in the regular season standings after a super display.
They now hold a six-point lead over Mavericks who play Storm themselves at the weekend before Mavs and Thunder replay their abandoned game on April 25.
Fresh from their first victory of the season at the weekend when they edged out the Celtic Dragons 45-44, it was the Jets who started at a fierce pace forging a 7-2 lead inside the opening half of the first quarter.
Led by Helen Housby at goal attack, Thunder rallied to level the scores at 8-8 before finishing strongly to take a three-goal lead at the end of the first 15 minutes.
Despite Stacey Francis impressing in defence for Jets, Thunder continued to press home their advantage throughout the second period and a dominant quarter saw Ryan's team open up a 32-21 lead.
With Player of the Match Ellie Cardwell lethal under the posts for Thunder the home side continued to pull away with Jets tiring after their exertions in Wales on Saturday and the 11-point half-time lead became 20 for the league leaders.
Manchester took a 52-32 lead into the final quarter and with Ryan continuing to urge his team forward, the fourth quarter followed the same pattern with Thunder taking the chance to use their full squad and lay down a marker for the Superleague semi-finals on April 30.
Thunder won in Round Seven by just five points but there was to be no close finish at the Thunderdome and they wrapped up a Roses double with a clinical final quarter to seal a 24-goal win.
"Maybe a few too many errors and turnovers particularly in the first quarter, we could have been up by a lot more with the opportunities that we had," Ryan told Sky Sports.
"But across the board we have to be happy - particularly to get 12 players out there considering a lot of the girls haven't seen much court time over the past couple of weeks in the big games.
"To get everyone out on a big stage and on a big night is something we are really happy about.
"We were very particular in the first half of the year that we wanted to rotate the line-up, gave players opportunities. We feel players we need to win the competition have had the taste they need to and we are confident in our depth and we are confident we can call on anyone required for any role on any day."
Jets head coach Anna Carter admitted that after last season's top four finish Yorkshire's rebuilding job has made for a tough campaign.
"[Thunder] are at the other end of the table to us and they are a well put together squad with lots of experience," Carter told Sky Sports.
"We are at a different point and are rebuilding, bringing together a young group so it was always going to be a challenge tonight.
"Some of the girls have really improved. We got a win on Saturday against Celtic and showed characteristics we've not shown this season but it is about putting it out consistently."
