- Pitman proud of Reds' display
- Forest recorded first away win of the season
- Reaction from the Forest Head Coach
Nottingham Forest Netball secured a crucial 74–60 victory over Leeds Rhinos, marking their first away win of the season.
It was a vital three points for Forest, keeping their ambitions for a top four finish firmly alive. After a competitive first half, Forest’s second-half performance proved the difference, with sharp defensive work, clinical finishing, and a powerful team effort pushing them over the line.
Head Coach Chelsea Pitman praised her squad's determination and grit after the match.
"I'm really proud of how the girls played tonight. For us to get our first away win on the board is, for me, a sense of relief. I was really brutally honest at the start of the game, telling the girls that if we want to push for a top four spot, then tonight was a must-win.
“If we didn’t win tonight, that probably wouldn't be a possibility. We needed to make sure we came away with three points, and that's exactly what we did. It wasn’t always pretty, but we did it in the Forest way."
Pitman was particularly pleased with the way the team responded after half time:
"The second-half netball that we played was absolutely fantastic. I'm really proud of everyone who took the court and proud of the impact from every player that came on. We tried something new this week, and it worked."
Looking ahead, Pitman emphasised the importance of building on this result:
"For me, it's now about looking at round two, coming up against everyone again, and asking: what have we learned in this short period of seven weeks, and where can we go from here?"
It was a performance full of character and team spirit, capped off by Tash Pavelin being named Player of the Match for her outstanding defensive display. The Reds now turn their attention to the next round, determined to keep their momentum going.