Terry's gushings (if that's not too rude an image... ;-)

The first of this year's Cardiff derbys came to Howells school last Tuesday with the perennial question hanging in the air, would student effervescence and willing running be enough to turn over the more experienced City team on their own turf.

The game started with a flurry of early City pressure with Susan, Midge and Dave all going close within the first few minutes. Close but not enough to trouble the score-sheet. With two good shouts for penalties also denied early, there was a definite edgy feeling beginning to spread.

It took 10 minutes of pressure before the student rearguard was broken, Susan netting a runner off Rob's smart feed. Dave added a long shot quickly after, but before the pressure could start to lift the Uni netted a runner of their own. Would this be one of those games?

The answer would be no. Finally given the ball in attack, the opposite end soon scored, Harry the beneficiary from Rachel's feed. Dave then grabbed his second from a neat cross-court ball, and Susan dropped one from range to end the half at 5-1.

This scoreline would almost be repeated in the second. The Uni enjoyed long spells of possession and a decent control of the post with their tall boys but got no quarter trying to run at City's defensively adept girls. In fact it was their boys that were their best bet in attack, and a little shot under the post mid way through the half underlined that. This strength in boys underlined by the surprise omission of Jack McNamara from the side. City however, are a far more patient and multi-dimentional beast.

Last season, as Uni captain, Ceri Jones was a real thorn in the side of City, and how they could have done with him tonight. However, as a City Blue, he opened the second half scoring with a smart piece of intercepting and an easy finish under the post. Ceri and Sian came close soon after, both nearly profiting from delightful pieces of skill from Harry. Ceri turned provider soon after as a training session cross move was netted with aplomb by Harry.

Dave soon added to his tally with another bomb from the deep, before Susan showed cute feet and fast thinking to turn her sleeping marker in the feed.

Just when it looked like becoming a real romp, the Uni did enjoy a relatively long period in control and added their 2nd.

Sian then showed her training pitch passing by feeding the diagonal to the ever-willing Harry for his 3rd runner of the game.

City ended the game in the control they had been showing all game, with Rob claiming numerous rebounds as Susan and Dave peppered the basket with long shots. Susan then turned feed, and Dave finished the game with a trademark basketball-esque runner.

The final score of 11-2 was a reflection of the slow clinical nature of the game being played a by strangely lacklustre Uni side slowing a usually far more flamboyant city side down. For the second time this season at home, Harry, Sian, Rachel and Ceri, were not scored past and must now be the tightest division in the league. While the other end lacks their fluency, it certainly has enough offensive firepower to unlock any defence.

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