Chelmsford Swifts depleted squad gave a wonderfully determined performance in the club's first national final before running out of steam to lose 60-39 against Wandsworth in Sheffield on Saturday.

The game was preceded by huge controversy when the English Basketball Association changed the date of the game from March 27 to Easter Saturday.

This meant that Swifts were missing no less than six senior players including four of the regular starting five.

Indeed such was the difficulties in having sufficient numbers that cadets Frances Hopkins and Sarah Evans actually made their playing debuts in this most important of matches.

Swifts settled first and baskets from Louise Gamman and Perrie Polius gave them a 4-1 lead after four minutes.

However, Wandsworth's height and strength was always going to be decisive as they moved to a 10-6 lead.

Louise Saville and Louise Gamman were doing an outstanding job resounding against much stronger opponents and with Perrie Polius using her outstanding athletic ability, Swifts were never going to be daunted, but it was always going to be an uphill struggle and at 18-12 after 13 minutes Wandsworth must certainly have thought the game safe.

However a change of defensive tactic by Swifts coach Stephen Pearl had an incredible effect on the game as the South Londoners went for more than six minutes without scoring.

Swifts were unable to capitalise on this and they still trailed by seven going into the last minute of the half.

When Louise Gamman scored the first basket of the second half, to bring her team just one point behind, the impossible dream became reality, but it wasn't to be as Swifts players tired.

Seven minutes without a basket brought a deficit of 33-23 and despite five points in a row from Louise Saville, Wandsworth then scored 11 unanswered points to lead 44-28.

Baskets for Sarah Hopkins and Kathryn Davies got the score to an air of respectability as Wandsworth continued with their top players despite their lead at the end of the game.

At the end, Wandsworth celebrated what could only have been a hollow victory. They were well aware of the Swifts plight but refused to change the date of the final so that all of the Chelmsford squad were available.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.