London Pulse continued their hold over the capital with a 55–49 victory over London Mavericks in front of a record-breaking crowd of more than 4,500 fans at the OVO Arena Wembley, the largest attendance in Mavericks history and one of the biggest crowds in Netball Super League history.
The visitors stormed out of the blocks, quickly taking control of the contest as Mavericks struggled to convert early opportunities. A dominant defensive display from Funmi Fadoju and Halimat Adio disrupted the Mavericks’ attack, helping Pulse establish an early advantage. After just five minutes, the away side had raced into a 1–6 lead.
Late in the opening quarter, Mavericks began to settle into the game. Emily Andrew found success from range with a well-taken Super Shot to cut the deficit to 7–11, before George Inger followed with another from distance to bring the score to 9–11 and ignite the home crowd. Despite the late momentum swing, Pulse responded strongly to close the quarter and extended their lead to 9–16.
Into the second quarter, Amelia Hall entered the game for Inger as both sides traded points in an intense spell of end-to-end netball. Mavericks suffered a setback early in the quarter when Hannah Knightbridge was forced off through injury, with Izzi Phillips coming on in her place.
Further changes followed as Suzie Liverseidge made way for Sophie Egbaran, who made an immediate impact under the post. Pulse, however, continued to control the tempo and gradually stretched their lead further, opening up an 11-goal advantage before halftime. The visitors headed into the break leading 24–33.
Mavericks emerged for the second half with renewed energy, as Liverseidge returned to court for Hall. Defensively, Jamie Golob and Ellie Sadler applied relentless pressure across the Pulse attacking third, forcing key turnovers and sparking the comeback. With eight minutes remaining in the quarter and Mavericks beginning to build momentum, Pulse were forced into a tactical timeout with the score at 29–37.
A pinpoint bullet pass from Andrew into Egbaran kept the pressure mounting as Mavericks narrowed the deficit further to 35–42, before Andrew once again stepped up from long range with another huge Super Shot to leave just five goals between the sides heading into the final quarter at 37–43.
The final quarter saw Mavericks throw everything at the contest in front of a roaring Wembley crowd. Feeding off the atmosphere, the home side continued to chip away at the deficit, with Egbaran impressing in the circle and the defensive unit refusing to back down. The gap was reduced to just a handful of goals during the closing stages as belief spread around the arena, but Pulse held their composure in the crucial moments to see out the London Derby and secure a 49–55 victory.
Fadoju, making her 100th appearance for Pulse, was named Experience Kissimmee Player of the Match after an outstanding defensive performance that included 10 deflections, six gains and two interceptions, as Pulse cemented their place in third spot in the table.