The drama was palpable at Lee Valley Velopark as London Pulse edged out Loughborough Lightning 60-56 in a thrilling preliminary final, sending shockwaves through the Netball Super League. The defending champions have punched their ticket to the grand final for the second consecutive year, and it's anyone's game now – with a repeat of last week's major semi-final showdown against AO Manchester Thunder on the cards.
A nail-biting opening quarter ended 16-16, but Pulse showed their class by taking control, edging ahead to a 30-29 lead at half-time. They maintained momentum in the third quarter, finishing 47-45 up before closing out the game with style. Liv Tchine was unstoppable, netting an impressive 30 goals for Pulse, while Sophie Kelly's outstanding performance earned her the player of the match award – she scored a vital 22.
Loughborough Lightning, who had stormed to nine wins in succession earlier this season but ultimately finished third in the regular season, threw everything at Pulse. But Samantha Wallace-Joseph's impressive 28 goals weren't enough to topple the reigning champions – and for the second year running, Pulse have overcome Lightning in the knockout stages.
Overjoyed player of the match Sophie Kelly beamed with pride: "It was just amazing! We knew it would be a tough game but I'm so proud of everyone on that team. We stuck to our game plan and worked tirelessly on improving goal scoring – it paid off!" Pulse coach Sam Bird lauded her players' resilience after last week's major semi-final defeat, praising their reaction time and determination against Lightning.
The stage is now set for a thrilling grand final showdown between London Pulse and AO Manchester Thunder. With both teams having secured home victories over each other during the regular season, it promises to be an absolute barnburner – and one that will keep fans on the edge of their seats until the very end!