Tuesday 19 March 2019 10:34, UK
Loughborough Lightning beat Wasps Netball 60-59 with a dramatic last-second winner in Vitality Netball Superleague.
Lightning had won their last four matches but went into the match with a score to settle having lost by 30 goals to their opponents on the opening day of the season.
The home side produced a stunning final quarter to turn around an eight-goal deficit at one point, with their captain Nat Panagarry leading the way.
Sara Bayman's outfit showed composure when it mattered to take the final centre pass with 38 seconds remaining. They calmly worked the ball around before feeding it into Ella Clark who found Mary Cholhok.
Cholhok made no mistake with the match-winning goal and the crowd at the Sir David Wallace Arena at Loughborough University erupted.
The win sees Loughborough move into fourth position in the table while Wasps remain on top just ahead of Manchester Thunder on goal difference.
From the opening minutes to the final moments it was a game of cat-and-mouse and one which Wasps will feel they should have won.
Wasps had the advantage of the first centre pass and they quickly converted it before both sides went goal-for-goal for the opening seven minutes.
As the first quarter continued, the visitors opened out three-goal advantages before being clawed back by their hosts and in the end Wasps would have to settle for a 16-14 lead at quarter-time.
The second quarter again saw swings one way and then the other as the thriller continued to unfold.
Both defensive ends were working tirelessly while Lightning's captain Panagarry had determination etched all over her face in mid-court as she led their charge from WD.
The work of Loughborough saw them gain a five-goal cushion before Wasps worked their way back to 23-23 with just over four minutes of the half remaining.
Wasps' goal keeper Josie Huckle was another who worked tirelessly, she pressurised Cholhok in the circle and her side pushed through to led 30-28 at the interval.
The third quarter remained intense but as it progressed Wasps put in a familiar charge and stretched out to 42-36 before finishing 46-40 in front with 15 minutes to play.
Despite a six-goal deficit, that stretched to eight at 50-42 with 12 minutes to go, the hosts Lightning never once panicked.
From the speed of feeding and through-court passing shown by Panagarry (who shifted to centre) and Hannah Joseph to intense work in their defensive end, Lightning did it all.
The shooting unit of Ella Clark and Cholhok were as composed as it gets and the way in which the entire side approached the last centre pass screamed confidence.
With 30 seconds remaining they didn't force the feed in. Instead, they chose to go backwards before setting up again to flow it through into the goal third.
Then when they felt it was right, Joseph found Panagarry on the left-hand edge of the circle before the captain fed Clark.
The goal attack didn't fancy the shot herself and instead put in a courageous pop to Cholhok - the Ugandan shooter promptly did the honours and sealed victory in the most dramatic match of the Superleague season yet.
Watch more live Vitality Netball Superleague when Celtic Dragons host London Pulse on Monday, March 25 live on Sky Sports Mix & Action from 6.45pm. Also, Sky Sports will be showing every game of the 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup in July.
