Lytton keen to make most of opportunities

ACTION IN THE CIRCLE: Lytton High School goal shoot Manaia Hutana takes a pass under pressure from Waikohu goal keep Ruby Tuapawa in Gisborne premier-grade netball. Lyttton will look to continue their recent good form when they play Horouta Gold at the YMCA tonight. Picture by Paul Rickard

IF Lytton Senior A can step up the way they did against Farmlands Ngatapa last Saturday, their match against Horouta Gold at the YMCA tonight could be a game to watch.

The students were five goals short of an upset over Ngatapa and only the wiser heads in the Patutahi team got them home when it was 37-all halfway through the final quarter.

Horouta, on the other hand, also finished strongly against Whangara Old Girls last Saturday.

Both teams should be primed for a real contest from 6pm.

Lytton coach Ronnie Martin will want to see her girls take their opportunities better tonight.

They had a chance to beat Ngatapa but rushed passes and turnover ball in the final quarter cost them.

Martin said some of them had come off a week of tournament play, but they should be refreshed now. She hoped they could be “really competitive” against Horouta.

“The strength in Lytton’s shooting circle has definitely improved and at the defensive end Elenoa Seruwaqa has come on in leaps and bounds.

“I am picking it will be a good game.”

Horouta coach Charnelle Rutene was rapt with the way her team finished against Whangara.

They have tonight’s game and one more against High School Old Girls to go before the playoffs.

“They are must-win games,” she said last Saturday. Her team will be aware of the importance of tonight’s match.

Netball centre manager Allisa Hall said it should be a really good game.

“Lytton stepped up against Ngatapa and I think they could probably do the same against Horouta.”

In the second match tonight, at 7.45pm, YMP (1) play Farmlands Ngatapa.

“YMP have been showing very good form and they will be hard,” Hall said.

“But they have also had a break in play with the defaulted game against Girls’ High on Saturday, so tonight should be a good tussle.”

Ngatapa coach Kate Faulks expects a hard slog.

“YMP are one of the top teams. We just have to go out and play our game.

“The plan is to ensure we hang on to our ball and then put tight defence on their midcourt, particularly, to slow them down as much as possible.

“They are incredibly quick through the court and that will be our biggest challenge tonight.

“But our girls always play with a lot of heart and that’s all we can ask for.”

YMP tied with Waikohu in their last outing and will have their eyes firmly on the points tonight with the playoffs just round the corner.

They were down on players in the Waikohu match and showed real fighting qualities.

“We will have our full squad tonight,” coach Ingrid Brown said.

“We have some work-ons that we want to polish in this game.”