Connie Francis, coach of the Manchester Spurs, is “ecstatic” with their all-conquering form in Netball Jamaica’s Berger Elite League.

“I’m very, very ecstatic. I didn’t think that we’d have been able to be undefeated at this stage of the game, but we’re embracing it and enjoying the moment,” noted Francis, whose team stayed top of the standings with 12 points after romping to their fourth-consecutive victory, 37-32, over defending champions St Ann Orchids.

Anna Kay Griffiths led the winners with 25 goals from 40 attempts, while Giselle Allison with seven from 12, Petal Smith, four from eight, and Nicole Dixon, one from three, scored the other goals.

Thristina Harwood was the Orchids’ main goal-getter, sinking 17 goals from 25 tries, while Rebekah Robinson, 12 from 16, and Simone Gordon, three of five, were their other scorers.

Last Saturday’s matches were the last for the year as the players get a break for the yuletide season, but Francis expects things to be difficult when action resumes in January.

The coach, who also captained and coached the national team, noted that strategising, camaraderie and the ability to read the game and adjust were important factors in their success.

Francis said: “Come next year we’re expecting it to be tough, but the players are so focused, they’re up to the challenge. They’re so motivated; I love coaching them. They embrace the coaching.

“A lot of times they are playing out of position, but when you give them the instructions of how to match up against another player, they carry it out so well. it’s exciting. Giselle, she’s a shooter, she plays defence. our captain, sometimes she doesn’t start based on the match-up. Some teams play the same starting players all the time, Manchester Spurs is not like that. We’ve to look at teams and strategise,” Francis analysed.

“They are seeing things happening and they just adjust on the court and encourage each other. They believe in each other; they’re a perfect unit,” said Francis. “They make coaching easy.”

The loss was the second in four matches for the Orchids, who lie third on six points.

Lying second are the Kingston Hummingbirds, who rebounded from a huge loss (40-61) against the Spurs to beat Clarendon Gaters 50-34 in the other match that was played last Saturday.

Sabrina Spence led the charge with 39 goals from 50 attempts, while Hasana Williams, seven from 12, and Shanice Beckford, four from 12, scored the other goals for the Hummingbirds, who lie second with nine points.

“I’m upbeat about where we are now because half of the competition is over. I see where the strengths and weaknesses are for us and the other teams,” said Marvette Andreson, coach of the Hummingbirds.

“We’re in this position because of the mixture of the team, the youth and experience coming together. We started the league not knowing the players, not seeing them as a team. now that we’ve seen them, we know where we need to iron out,” added Anderson of her newly assembled unit.

They will play one more game then the reverse fixtures when the six-team competition resumes, and the Gaters have an awful lot of work to do. The Clarendon team sits bottom of the standings without a point, having lost all their matches.

They had narrowly lost their previous two games by one point, but could not complain of being unlucky against the Hummingbirds.

Shadian Hemmings was the Gaters’ leading scorer, with 18 goals from 30 attempts, while Shedeiky Hamilton-Barnes gave good support with 15 from 22. Kayon Cousing, one from one, was their other scorer.

St Catherine Racers and St James Sharpes, with one win apiece, are tied on three points. The Sharpes have played two matches, with two rained out, while the Racers have played four.