Lightning, who finished second behind Pulse in the regular season standings, delivered a commanding first-half performance that left the league leaders stunned. With sharp attacking play and relentless defensive pressure, Lightning surged into a deserved 29–21 lead at half-time, dominating possession and forcing Pulse into uncharacteristic errors.
Head coach Vic Burgess’s side demonstrated their tactical nous and calm under pressure, controlling the tempo with precise ball movement and sharp shooting. In defence, Lightning stifled Pulse’s attacking threats early on, with their defensive unit operating as a cohesive, impenetrable force.
Though Pulse mounted a spirited third-quarter comeback, capitalising on a pair of turnovers and some long-range shooting, Lightning refused to fold. Even as Pulse edged ahead late in the game, Lightning kept applying pressure and refused to let the contest slip away.
Samantha Wallace-Joseph brought Lightning roaring back into contention with a vital super shot in the dying moments, pushing the match to the wire. With seconds remaining, Lightning were within a whisker of pulling level again, showing the grit and determination that have defined their season.
Despite the narrow defeat, Lightning’s performance was full of positives — from their assertive start, and their ability to challenge the league leaders across all four quarters.
Head coach Vic Burgess reflected on the match with optimism:
"I thought we had a good start but the third quarter we were hesitant in our plan and made errors.
"We had opportunities and didn't take them. We have another crack again next week in the preliminary final. We need to keep being consistent and execute things in attack and defence.
"There's lots of positives and it was down to very small margins tonight. It could have gone either way, so we have to make sure our intensity is high and having that belief."
Lightning now have a second chance to secure their spot in the Grand Final when they take to the court in this Sunday’s preliminary final against minor semi-final winners, Manchester Thunder.
Get your hands on tickets here: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/lightning/netball/tickets-fixtures/