Direct route to final beckons

Looking ahead: High School Old Girls' Alex Sinclair has her fingers on the ball as YMP's Jayda Banks (right) takes hold. YMP are up against Waikohu in a match that will see one of these teams head straight to the final. The semifinal is being played tomorrow at the YMCA at 7.30pm. Picture by Paul Rickard

A PATHWAY straight through to the premier grade netball grand final beckons tomorrow night for either YMP (1) or Waikohu (1).

Based on results to this point of the season, YMP would have the edge.

Their semifinal at the YMCA at 7.30pm tomorrow night should bring out the best in both teams.

They have met three times and YMP have won each time.

However, YMP's unbeaten run this season was halted last Wednesday by Gisborne Girls' High School Senior A.

Claydens Waikohu (1) will have taken some confidence from that.

They were able to repel a last-quarter fightback from the students in their last game against them.

YMP (1) could not do the same but they can be expected to bounce back strongly.

As their coach Ingrid Brown acknowledged after the loss, it was not her team's best performance.

“Our players know we are at the business end of the season, so we are focused on the next two weeks.”

Both of these teams will give a good display of netball skills.

The winners will go straight through to the final and the losers will get to play the winners of the earlier game.

The first match tomorrow night, at 6pm, pits Gillies Electrical GGHS Snr A against JT Contractors Horouta Gold.

The matches between these teams have been close this year.

Horouta Gold won the first one by three goals, Girls' High won the second by five goals, and the third game was a draw.

That last match, at the end of July, was neck and neck for the full hour. Both teams took the lead and then got pegged back.

The same sort of intense competition can be expected tomorrow night, especially when you consider the winners get the chance to move closer to the final.

For the losers the season ends, and they take fourth position.

Horouta Gold got a shake-up last week when they lost to F45 High School Old Girls.

Like YMP, they should bounce back strongly.

The students, on the other hand, will be hugely buoyed by their stunning win against YMP the same night and will come out firing.

Both games tomorrow night will be worth watching and the four teams' supporters will be out in force.