GRANGETOWN
WIN U14 YNPL
GRAND FINALS
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Grangetown won their first-ever ENG YNPL Grand Finals after an incredible performance. They also became the first team to finish fourth in the league and subsequently win the competitiona and also the first team from the North East to win this event.
Quarter-Finals
The quarter-final stage was competitive, and the champions from the North & South faced tough opposition early on. Leeds took on Aces initially, and it was a competitive opening half as Aces maximized the height in the shooting circle. As the game entered the second half, Leeds shut down the Aces' attacks and managed to create the breathing space needed to relax and secure the win.
Shan NC didn't start well against Grangetown and was playing catch-up straight from the start. Grangetown was significantly more competitive, and although the score wasn't particularly wide, Shan struggled to build consistency and turn around the score after such a slow start. In the end, the dominance of the Grangetown shooting circle was the key difference between the two sides, and the champions from the South were eliminated.
Another shock loss was on its way, and this time, it was the runners-up from the South being beaten by the third-placed team from the North. Sutton Town and Tameside was a proper physical battle, with both teams not backing down in the pursuit of physical superiority within the game. The key to Tameside's success was stopping the Sutton Town shooting circle from receiving the ball, and even when they did, the Tameside defence expertly made sure the Sutton shooters had to work hard for every goal. As tempers flared and frustration crept into the Sutton Town performance, Tameside managed to settle more than the other side and ended up winning the tie and semi-final fixture against Leeds Athletic.
Magic made Ellesmere Port work for their win in what was an indifferent performance from Ellesmere Port. Up until the final quarter, Magic found themselves with a chance of victory, but in the end, Ellesmere Port held on for the win.
Results
Tameside NC (20) Vs Sutton Town (15)
Grangetown NC (24) Vs Shan NC (18)
Magic NC (20) Vs Ellesmere Port (24)
Leeds Athletic (26) Vs Aces NC (20)
5th-8th Play-Offs
Shan found the form needed to win against Magic, frustratingly it wasn't in the previous round against Grangetown. Sutton Town got locked into another high intense game, this time against Aces. Both teams went toe to toe up until the final minuted, but Sutton Town got the win and advanced to our 5th-6th final.
Results
Sutton Town (26) Vs Aces NC (24)
Shan NC (30) Vs Magic NC (14)
Semi-Finals
Tameside performed well against Leeds earlier in the season and had the opportunity to avenge their league defeat. The game was a classic, and both sides fought hard in the first half to gain superiority. As we headed into the final quarter, Tameside found themselves five points down, and it looked like it would be too much of an ask for them to win the tie. Tameside, though, showed great spirit, and their defence put up a brick wall to stop the Leeds attacks. The Tameside attack thanked the amazing defencive work and consistently scored to turn the game around and win against the odds.
Grangetown took on Ellesmere Port and, like the previous game, put Ellesmere Port under pressure early on. The combinations of the mid-court to feed the shooters were causing Ellesmere Port a lot of trouble, and the Grangetown goal shooter was ruthless under the post. Despite their dominance, Ellesmere Port still were close throughout but couldn't find the consistency needed to defeat Grangetown.
Results
Grangetown NC (32) Vs Ellesmere Port (25)
Tameside NC (28) Vs Leeds Athletic (25)
5th-8th Play-Off Finals
Shan capped off the day with a win over Sutton Town to claim fifth overall, but it was little consolation after their opening-game defeat to Grangetown.
The 7th-8th play-off final was a classic between Aces NC and Magic NC. Both sides had competed well all day, and the game went to extra time to decide which team would claim its first win of the competition. After a tough encounter, Aces ultimately claimed the victory and secured a seventh-place finish.
7th-8th Result
Magic NC (30) Vs Aces NC (32)
5th-6th Result
Sutton Town (21) Vs Shan NC (24)
3rd/4th Play-Off
Ellesmere Port defeated Leeds convincingly in the league a few weeks before this event but couldn't replicate that performance as Leeds recorded a convincing win and claimed third place in the competition.
Result
Leeds Athletic (27) Vs Ellesmere Port (21)
Final
Grangetown and Tameside played in their first-ever YNPL Final, and like their previous games in the competition, this was another fantastic encounter.
Grangetown started well once again, but Tameside kept the score within two for significant periods. As the tie went into the final quarter, Tameside looked like they would go on to get the win due to their early dominance. Grangeton, though, weathered the storm and, in the end, won the tie and their first-ever YNPL Grand Finals.
Result
Grangetown NC (24) Vs Tameside NC (18)
All-Star Team
Gabi Gooding (Shan NC), Zara Clement (Sutton Town), Hadia Sanni (Tameside NC), Ellie Trochez (Ellesmere Port), Evie Jobey (Leeds Athletic), Rosie Cook (Grangetown NC), Jazz Demetriou (Magic NC)
MVP - Hadia Sanni (Tameside NC)