Liverpool Handball Club women’s team, left with only one sub after an early injury, suffered a 26-34 loss at home to an unbeaten Loughborough team.
Before the game, Liverpool’s women were already in a tough situation with only two substitutes for what shaped up to be a fast-paced game against the EHA Premier League leaders Loughborough.
Despite this, the game started out with back and forth scoring with neither team able to build up a significant lead.
Both teams relied on their wings for scoring early on with right wings being responsible for three of Liverpool’s first five goals.
However, the dynamic of the match would change significantly after Liverpool winger Krista Jakovleva went down with a knee injury roughly 15 minutes into the first half.
This reduced Liverpool’s already small bench to just one substitute, not the norm in handball’s back and forth action.
Liverpool used this injury to gain some momentum in the closing stages of the first half and had earned a two-goal lead going into the halftime break up 14-12.
Second Half
At the beginning of the second half the game remained even until Tabatha Dann Ward and Anna Rayner scored six goals in quick succession.
This shifted the game in Loughborough’s favour, but Liverpool’s women continued to fight.
Tiredness began to show late in the second half as only having one sub took its toll on Liverpool’s players whilst their opponent’s depth helped meant the players on court stayed fresh to play.
Team captain Brooke Partington and back court player Olivia Gonsalves both played all 60 minutes of the game in an effort to keep Liverpool in the game, scoring a combined 12 goals.
It would not be enough in the end and after the final whistle the home team found themselves behind 26-34.
Liverpool will get a rematch sooner rather than later as the two teams play each other again in Loughborough this Sunday, the 2nd of March.
Featured image by Jack Lambert
