Gazelles bagged their second victory of the Exmouth Netball League season as they defeated Kenn Valley 39-26.

Gazelles made a strong start, boosted by some accurate shooting from Charlie Baker and Rhian Rose that saw them into an early lead, one they held throughout the contest.

Kenn Valley’s shooting partnership was also strong, managing to keep Kenn in with a fighting chance.

However, assertive defence from Terri Whitmore and Fern Watts proved vital in claiming the majority of Kenn’s rebounds and feeding the ball back to their team. Gazelles have been working hard on their centre court play and this showed in a much more polished performance and more accurate passing.

Good team work around the circle by Meg Ford, Sophie Minter and Sarah Kneil was much improved and meant they had greater success getting the ball into their shooters. They couldn’t afford to let their guard down as a couple of slips in concentration were picked up on by Kenn Valley and, every now and then, they bridged the gap slightly. Gazelles have the luxury of a good sized squad and were able to interchange players at each quarter, helping to keep the team refreshed and energised.

Gazelles continued to build on their lead, their confidence growing with every goal scored and, by the full-time whistle, they had put a healthy margin of 13 points between the teams. The victory strengthens the belief that the Gazelles’ collective hard work and commitment is beginning to pay off.