Comeback win to golden girls

TALK TO THE HAND: Whangara Old Girls goal attack Nadia Taare in the way of Horouta Gold goal defence Nicky Hitaua in premier netball at the YMCA on Saturday. Horouta came from six goals down to win 53-49. Picture by Liam Clayton

REIGNING champions YMP 1 flexed their muscle and Horouta Gold stormed home in the final quarter in premier netball at the YMCA on Saturday.

YMP, unbeaten last year and yet to lose this season, dished out a 72-44 thrashing to Farmlands Ngatapa.

Horouta came from six goals down at halftime to defeat 2015 runners-up Whangara Old Girls 53-49.

These were the only two games in the Pak’nSave Gisborne premier grade as the points competition proper gets under way.

Following a tightly-contested first quarter, YMP stepped on the gas either side of halftime against Ngatapa.

They extended a 17-12 lead to 34-23 by halftime and led by 20 goals (54-34) going into the third quarter.

YMP were not about to ease off the accelerator, piling on 22 goals in a final-quarter onslaught to blow away their opposition and rack up a 28-goal winning margin.

The promising Horouta Gold, seeded fourth after round 1, trailed Whangara after each of the opening three quarters before rallying in the last stanza to produce a memorable win.

Whangara build steadilyWhangara looked to be in control of the game, building steadily on a two-goal first-quarter lead and extending that to 32-26 by halftime.

Horouta threatened on attack in the third quarter and had reduced the deficit to just three goals (41-38) by the three-quarter break.

The golden girls then charged home in the final 15, outscoring Whangara 15-8 to start their round 2 campaign off with a win.

Whangara coach Ronnie Martin said the girls would have to move on and pick up the pace in their next game.

“It’s the first round of competition, so you are aiming to get as many points as you can to make that top four near the end, so that’s still our goal.”