Oaksway netball team urging supporters to cheer them on in final game of the year against Tameside at Brierton

Oaksway host fourth-top team Tameside in the Mizuno Premier League fixture this Sunday at Brierton Sports Centre, start 12.30pm.

And coach Barbara Brown is hoping Oaksway’s fans will come along cheer on the team to end the year and go into the festive fixture break with a win.

Barbara said: “We play our final game of the year at home to Tameside so we are hoping to end the year on a high with a victory.

“They are a good side near the top of the league, but hopefully we will be able to put out a good side and put on a good display.

“So we hope we can get all our supporters along to Brierton to cheer the girls on and end the year on a high.”

Oaksway approach the halfway point of the season and the festive fixture break just two points above the relegation places.

Oaksway are in eighth place in the Premier League with 20 points, just two above Premier Romans and three above bottom club Team Bath Toucans, who they lost to at the weekend.

Due to late withdrawals and illness Oaksway could only travel to Bath with seven players, eventually going down 79-45.

“It was a big ask for the girls, said Barbara.

“We have a lot of our players on National Super league duty with Team Northumbria and they have been a bit strict this season on letting our players play for our team.

“It may well be that in the future we just say that we should use our younger players and not count on the availability of Northumbria players or not.”

Barbara praised the seven Oaksway players who made the long journey and played the game, Faye Bateson, Ella Bowen, Rachel Carter, Natasha Hampshire, Holly Linighan, Tamsin Moala and Alice Currie.

“We had a couple of our younger players among the team but they all worked really hard,” said Barbara.

“We were in the game in the first and second quarters but we let it slip a little in the third.

“But in the final quarter we stayed with them, but it proved not to be enough.

“It was a long day for the girls - six hours on a bus there to Bath and six hours back. It is quite an arduous journey.

“The girls were a bit down on the way home but we can’t fault their hard work and commitment.”