London Pulse win first title with NSL Grand Final victory

Leader Live

5 days ago

The first Soft & Gentle Super Shot siren sounded with Nichole Breedt in the area, but she could not take the first opportunity. In the end, Olivia Tchine sunk one to see Pulse hold a four-goal lead at quarter-time with four points in a row.
Lightning finally stopped Pulse's steady flow with the lead at five and found rhythm with it to see an end to the frenetic nature of the Grand Final thus far.
However, the holders' attacks were pushed further and further back by Pulse's court-covering defence, with Adio and Funmi Fadoju eventually combining to turn the ball over.
The arrival of Ella Clark for Berri Neil sparked life back into Loughborough with Clark sinking Super Shot after Super Shot to Pulse's lead, which had grown to eight, reduced to just two at half-time.
Sam Bird, London Pulse's head coach, made her first change of the match to begin the second half as Gracie Smith entered the fray to become the youngest Grand Final player in NSL history.
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A swirling ball into Tchine showed exactly why she was trusted with the pressure as London Pulse pushed the lead out to five points again.
Lightning were almost handed a way back in when the fearsome Adio was forced off the court with an injury but Darcie Everitt, sister of captain Zara, more than held her own on her Grand Final debut.
However, Vic Burgess' side saw two Super Shots bounce out to see their task stand at overhauling an eight-point advantage to retain their title.
The start of their chase began perfectly as they turned the ball over to cut the lead to five, but Pulse were always able to keep them at arm's length.
The return of Adio added further confidence to Sam Bird's side, who did not let up on their opposition.
It meant that as they scored the final goal of the game, they were able to smile and take it all in before pandemonium erupted inside the O2 as Pulse climbed to the summit, six years after they joined the league.
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