Prem teams turn on edge-of-the-seat thrillers

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

If last night’s tripleheader at the YMCA is anything to go on, the premier grade netball season proper is going to be a roller-coaster ride.

Two games were one-goal thrillers while the defending champions were given a scare before finishing the stronger in the other.

F45 High School Old Girls came from four goals down at the halftime break to beat a spirited Gisborne Girls’ High Senior A 39-30.

YMP (1) and Claydens Waikohu (1) entertained the large crowd with a blow-for-blow encounter that eventually went the way of YMP, 33-32.

And the tension level stayed the same as Whangara Old Girls pipped Horouta Gold, also by 33-32.

Netball commentator Sherrill Beale said all three Round 1 games made for great viewing and augured well for an exciting season.

The HSOG-GGHS game started “fast and furious”, Beale said, with the students pressuring the reigning champions and taking the upper hand to lead by five goals after just a few minutes.

“The students linked well and worked the ball efficiently into their shooters,” Beale said.

They led 11-9 after the first quarter and 22-18 at halftime, but HSOG produced a tighter team defence throughout the court in the third quarter, which forced errors.

HSOG won the third quarter 9-3 to take a 27-25 lead into the final stanza and continued their charge to close it out although it was a much harder mission than the nine-goal differential suggested.

YMP trailed early against Waikohu in an end-to-end battle. Only 10 goals were netted in the first quarter as Waikohu edged ahead 6-4.

YMP had the better of the second quarter — winning it 12-7 — but Waikohu came back strongly in the third to be 25-23 up at the break.

YMP had a little more in the tank for the home stretch to win by one in a game that had supporters of both on the edge of their seats.

“It was a highly competitive game that could have gone either way,” Beale said.

As was the Whangara-Horouta battle.

The Golden Girls held one-goal leads at the end of quarters one and two but in what was to prove the difference on the scoreboard, Whangara had the better of the third quarter (10-7) to take a vital 26-24 lead into the final period. Horouta, though, weren’t going away and won it 8-7.

Both losing teams earned a bonus point but on these even performances Gisborne Netball Centre is not going to have any headaches deciding on the final make-up of the premier grade for 2022.

YMP and Girls’ High (10.15am) are the only premier teams in action this Saturday.

“However it will be a very busy day at the netball courts,” Beale said, “as all school teams start their season and, as it is grading, most of the teams will play two games each.

“There are 81 games to play at the courts, starting at 8.30am and with the last round at 2.25pm.”