NETBALL: Raychem grab draw with Team Bath (From This Is Wiltshire)

RAYCHEM boosted their Regional League 1 survival hopes after a 42-42 draw with Team Bath.

The Swindon side had lost by just two goals in the reverse fixture, having led for the majority of the game.

In the return meeting Team Bath held a narrow advantage throughout before Raychem hit back and nearly pinched victory at the death.

In a tight affair the visitors led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter, and 20-19 at half time.

Some changes in personnel for the third quarter allowed Raychem to apply more pressure to the opposition’s shooting-circle feed by utilising taller wing defence Hayley Lawrence, while Steph Bonehill switched to wing attack.

The tinkering seemed to worked for a brief period with Raychem going two goals up to move ahead for the only time in the contest, but unforced errors crept back in and Team Bath regained the advantage to go 31-29 up moving into the last quarter.

But the hosts remained in touch in the fourth frame and with less than a minute to go drew level. Raychem worked hard to get the ball to the shooting circle to snatch a late winner but were unable to convert and had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Meanwhile, in Regional League 2, Pinehurst comfortably saw off Plymouth Marjon, 60-41 thanks to a clinical display from their shooters who boasted a combined coversion rate of 85 per cent.

The victory saw the Swindon outfit strengthen their grip on fifth place in the league standings.