Share London Pulse cemented their status as title favourites by winning their top-two battle with Surrey Storm and booking a top four spot. Sam Bird’s side blew past the home side thanks to a third-quarter charge, outscoring their closest rivals 20-11 to seize the initiative. It means Pulse, who reached the Grand Final for the first time last year, are sure of a playoff place with six rounds of the regular season still to play. Both sides kept their starting sevens intact from Round 13 with international class everywhere you looked, a treat for a typically passionate Surrey Sports Park crowd. Despite Storm and Layla Guscoth’s best efforts to keep Olivia Tchine in check, Pulse got an early six-point jump thanks to Chelsea Pitman’s playmaking and turnovers from Halimat Adio and Funmi Fadoju. The visitors threw a defensive blanket over the hosts but Sophie Drakeford-Lewis was at the heart of the resistance, taking a more direct option to halve that lead. Lucky Liv ☘️@Liv_Tchine secures another goal for @Pulse_Netball off the backline as the clock ticks down to the final few minutes 🤯#NSL2023 #GetSomeNet pic.twitter.com/7L46p7MUqI — Netball Super League (@NetballSL) April 29, 2023 Guscoth picked off a Pitman pass from the top of the circle and Amy Flanagan then got two crucial defensive touches to keep it tight at 14-9 at the end of the first quarter. The sides went goal-for-goal on the resumption and from there Storm took the initiative, Proscovia Peace stooping to pick up a feed and Drakeford-Lewis profiting from a Pitman error to pull their side to within a point. Storm’s defence stepped up a gear and they outscored a sluggish Pulse by four points in the second quarter. Were it not for Drakeford-Lewis spilling Mikki Austin’s low feed, they would have led at half-time but in the event Tchine gave the visitors a slender interval advantage in the final seconds. They call the third the ‘Championship quarter’ and Pulse used it to prove their title credentials, pulling away from their closest rivals. Sam Bird’s substitution was crucial as she switched Zara Everitt with Ellie Rattu, who had the desired impact in an inspired defensive performance. What a reach 🤩@peace_proscovia getting fingertips to the ball and pulling it in is something we could just watch over and over 😍#NSL2023 | #GetSomeNet pic.twitter.com/RA6sX94RN7 — Netball Super League (@NetballSL) April 29, 2023 Adio made a brilliant interception to help starve Storm of a goal for the first four minutes of the quarter, who began to let unforced errors and poor discipline creep into their game. Pulse’s speed of entry into the circle, as well as variety between Tchine and Berri Neil, saw them outscore Storm by nine points in the quarter, limiting the hosts to just 11 and taking an unassailable lead. Pulse held that lead in the final quarter to consign Storm to their fourth defeat of the season. Follow the Netball Super League on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Keep up with all the latest news by signing up to the NSL newsletter here. Share Tags: Surrey Storm London Pulse