So we meet again

SHOOTING STARS: No matter how well you defend or how efficiently the ball flows through the midcourt, if your shooters don’t finish the job, you’re in trouble. Whangara Old Girls goal shoot Sandee Porter and her YMP equivalent Paku-Jane Brown-White (next picture) carry that huge responsiblity into tomorrow’s premier grade grand final at the YMCA. Pictures by Paul Rickard

WHANGARA Old Girls have given themselves every chance of retaining the premier grade netball title tomorrow in the YMCA but grand final opponents YMP (1) have shown they will be tough to beat.

YMP’s midcourt were sensational in their semifinal win against Claydens Waikohu on Wednesday, setting a defensive and attacking platform to win the game.

If Whangara allow them to play like that tomorrow, the Jan Duncan Memorial cup will have new owners.

Jan Duncan was a stalwart of netball in the district — a player, coach and committee member — and the trophy has had her name on it since 1989.

Tomorrow’s final is expected to be worthy tribute to her.

“It will be a very close and very competitive final,” said Gisborne Netball Centre manager Allisa Hall.

“It’s the third year in a row the two teams have faced off in the final and it is simply too hard to pick a winner either way. It will be won by whoever wants it the most.”

YMP won the title in 2015 with a 59-43 shut-out of Whangara.

Whangara reversed the ledger 43-41 in a thriller last year.

The reigning champions will go into tomorrow afternoon’s match full of confidence after putting away YMP 58-52 in their 1 v 2 playoff game last week.

But they took their foot off the throat after leading 45-34 at the three-quarter mark and YMP came back at them.

Whangara cannot afford to do that tomorrow because the YMP line-up who beat Waikohu on Wednesday were focused, well organised, accurate and, most importantly, highly motivated.

“I want the girls to take their opportunities tomorrow and, most importantly, enjoy the game,” said YMP coach Ingrid Brown.

“All I ask is that they support their teammates and leave it all out on the court.”

Whangara coach Ronnie Martin said her girls had had a bit longer to think about tomorrow’s game.

“They are excited and really happy to be there. Now it is up to them to do the business when it really counts. They have done the work to get this far and now they have to finish it off.”

Martin said her girls had trained well this week and were ready to go.

The premier final starts at 1pm. Finals and other title-deciding games in the other grades run from 9am, 10am and 11am at Victoria Domain.

Entry to the final in the Y is $5 for adults and $3 for children.

n The “battle of the students” playoff for fifth and sixth in the premier competition at 9am tomorrow has “classic” written all over it too.

Lytton Senior A have had the wood on Gisborne Girls’ High School Senior A over the season with three fine wins, the latest of those by 54-45 at the end of July.

“From those previous encounters you would think Lytton have developed ahead of the Girls High but Girls High cannot be discounted,” Gisborne Netball Centre manager Allisa Hall said.“They are totally capable of pulling off a surprise win.”

Girls High coach Dianah Foley expects a “great battle.”

“It’s great that it’s two high schools in this game. We are both getting ready for the Lower North Island secondary schools competiiton in early September, so it will be good test of our preparations for that tournament.”

Foley said she was happy with how her girls have come on and predicted a high-speed and hard-fought game tomorrow.

Lytton coach Ronnie Martin said the team’s winning score in their playoff game against HSOG (65-50) was indicative of how far they had come this season.

“I am confident they will do well tomorrow.”