Lightning taking it week by week after eighth win

Loughborough Lightning head coach Vic Burgess said her side "are taking it week by week" after continuing their unbeaten start to the Netball Super League season with a 73-56 win against London Mavericks.

Lightning took a 17-12 lead at the end of the first quarter at their Sir David Wallace Arena and maintained their advantage as they held the Mavericks at arm's length to secure an eighth win from eight games.

"We talk about it [unbeaten record] but, ultimately, nothing changes as we go into training on Monday," said Burgess.

"We evaluate what we've done and move on to the next match straight away. It doesn't change."

Lightning's star shooter Samantha Wallace-Joseph was in clinical form and scored 37 goals to inspire her side to a victory which moved them on to 24 points.

"Collectively, it [unbeaten record] brings pressure because every day you want to go out there and win a game but we are trying to take each match a step at a time," said player of the match Wallace-Joseph.

"I strive under pressure and am loving it."

The Mavericks are in fifth on 10 points.

"Just in the big moments, we're not quite there yet," said head coach Tamsin Greenway.

"We know that and it's frustrating - because we have the moments - but that's what happens when you play such a quality team."

London Pulse are three points behind Lightning in second as a result of their 65-44 win over second-bottom NIC Leeds Rhinos on Sunday.

AO Manchester Thunder moved above Pulse with Saturday's 67-55 victory against sixth-placed LexisNexis Dragons, but Pulse's win sent Thunder back to third.

Nottingham Forest head coach Chelsea Pitman said her side have not yet hit top form following an emphatic 70-54 win over Birmingham Panthers on Friday.

South Africa international Rolene Streutker dominated for Forest at a sold-out Worcester Arena as she netted 43 goals to finish player of the match.

Forest's win had moved them to within a point of Thunder and three points behind Pulse, although those gaps were extended back to four and six respectively over the course of the weekend.

"We have a lot more in the tank and we're not even close to our best at the moment, which is exciting for us," Pitman told Sky Sports.

"We just need to make sure we are absolutely ruthless in our execution and just be relentless."

Forest began the season with three consecutive victories but their win over the Panthers ended a run of four straight defeats.

Streutker said Forest's decision to go "back to basics" helped them get back on track against the Panthers.

"We've been training really hard and it's just so nice having the results to show for it," she said.

"We've had a couple of shaky, shaky games before this one, so I think it's really good that we had a great score today."

Betsy Creak scored 24 goals for the Panthers and Sophie Egbaran 20, but head coach Sonia Mkoloma said her side were not clinical in the second and third quarters.

"We know it's not good enough and it's below our target," she said.

"That was disappointing because we put ourselves in a bit of a hole."

BBC Sport will show one game per week during the regular season.

These are the games you can watch live on the BBC Sport website and iPlayer (UK only, all times BST):

24 April: Leeds Rhinos v Nottingham Forest (19:00)

4 May: Manchester Thunder v Birmingham Panthers (18:00)

9 May: Nottingham Forest v London Mavericks (15:00)

15 May: Loughborough Lightning v Nottingham Forest (19:00)

24 May: London Pulse v Dragons (17:00)