WORCESTER-based Saracens lost out 35-25 to West Midlands League leaders Elmdon.

The first quarter was a very tight affair as the defences dominated and scoring opportunities were at a premium.

Neither side managed to impose themselves, with goals being shared equally throughout the quarter. Elmdon held a narrow 8-7 lead at the first break.

Saracens took the game to Elmdon early in the second quarter, scoring five goals without reply to overturn the deficit and take a four-goal lead.

However this early dominance was not to last and Elmdon took the honours in the latter part of the quarter, scoring five goals themselves without reply to make it 15-15 at half-time.

Throughout the season, the second half of games have been Saracens' downfall and yet again this was the case as Elmdon hit two early goals to claim the lead.

As the third quarter wore on, Elmdon started to dominate. With timely interceptions and turnovers, they started to pull away from Saracens who were guilty of missing too many shooting opportunities.

This quarter was pivotal to the final outcome of the game, with Elmdon outscoring Saracens by 12 goals to five to give them a 27-20 lead. The final quarter was much closer, but Saracens were unable to reel in their opponents.

n In a close encounter between two evenly-matched teams, Evesham Reds lost 43-41 to Tibberton Star in the West Midlands League.

Both the Reds and Star play a very fast-flowing game of netball so it came down to who could maintain the pace for the longest.

The first quarter was nip-and-tuck and ended with the scores level.

The Reds' defence hassled Tibberton in the second period and stopped them from getting the ball into the circle. Some excellent passing and shooting saw the Reds go into half-time with a four-goal cushion.

After the break, Tibberton's wing-defence Nicci Woods made several excellent interceptions to disrupt the Reds and help her side draw level again. Star continued their dynamic play and began to pull ahead.

The last quarter was a battle for both teams, with the Reds picking up their play and gaining on Star.

However, time just ran out for the Reds and, in a good-spirited game, Tibberton came out as the winners by a margin of two goals.