Share Strathclyde Sirens were beaten by reigning champions Manchester Thunder despite a solid performance for their first match of the 2021 campaign. Strathclyde Sirens dominated the first half, with Abernethy, McCleery and Gallagher settling into very controlled attacking combinations from the outset. Frustrations started to build with Manchester Thunder who failed to keep errors at bay, of which Goodwin and Gallagher were able to capitalise on at the net. The Scottish side headed into the second quarter three goals up, but by half time and after some words from Greig on the bench, Thunder’s defence stepped up to the mark forcing errors in the Sirens circle, leading by four at half time, 19-23. Second half saw a shift in momentum. Sirens continued to make basic errors and attack failed to create the space that they did so well in doing in the first half. Thunder found their flow and Nicholl and Vinkhumbo battled with Mvula and Cardwell in order to disrupt their shooting. Barrie, MacPhail, Dix and Rachel Conway made an appearance in the final quarter but it was Thunder who rumbled ahead to take the win 36-53. Karen Atkinson said: "There’s a lot of positives to take from this match. From a performance perspective the score line could have been closer, and we need to be able to perform those confident patches of play more consistently. "We played against a quality side tonight who have a lot of depth and were able to adapt and change their game when they needed to." Vitality Player of the Match: Laura Malcolm (Manchester Thunder) View the match gallery here. Make sure you’re following @NetballSL on Twitter and Instagram. You can also sign up for the VNSL Newsletter to stay up to date with news and tickets. Match report from Strathclyde Sirens Share Tags: Strathclyde Sirens Manchester Thunder