Netball Super League Grand Final: London Pulse beat Loughborough Lightning to win first title

London Pulse secured their first Netball Super League title and denied Loughborough Lightning an unprecedented three-peat with a thrilling 53-45 Grand Final win at the O2 Arena in London.

Victory wraps up a magnificent treble for Sam Bird’s side, who topped the regular season table and won the inaugural Netball Super Cup in March.

The final whistle sparked wild celebrations from the majority of the 10,000 fans inside the venue, with the Pulse players embracing before sinking to the floor.

Their victory was based on a solid defensive display by player of the match Funmi Fadoju, who ended with eight deflections, three intercepts and eight gains.

The foundation set by Fadoju allowed Pulse to be aggressive and pushed Lightning back up the court, forcing the champions into uncharacteristic mistakes and restricting them to their lowest score of the season.

Pulse never relinquished the lead after nudging in front inside the opening five minutes, resisting the challenge of an eager Lightning, and always looking to have another gear if required.

Pulse’s Gracie Smith, who was sitting her GCSE exams last month, was introduced at half-time to become the youngest player to feature in a Grand Final aged just 16.