Teams to decide their fate

CONTESTED: YMP’s Sydney Rore (left) and Waikohu’s Heaven Kemp go for a loose ball. Waikohu play Gisborne Girls’ High School tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

Who does — and who doesn’t — make the top-four playoffs in Gisborne premier-grade netball will be decided in two games at the YMCA tomorrow morning.

The 9am match between Claydens Waikohu and Gisborne Girls’ High School Senior A should be an enthralling contest between teams who have found late-season form in the Pak’nSave competition.

The same applies for the 11am game between Whangara Old Girls and Lytton Senior A.

YMP Sunshine Brewery, on 44 points, and Taste One High School Old Girls, on 37, are rock-solid as No.1 and No.2 on the table.

But for Gisborne Girls’ High, Claydens Waikohu and Whangara Old Girls, it will be a big morning.

Whangara go into it on 23 points, with Girls’ High just behind on 22 and Waikohu on 20.

A win to Girls’ High against Waikohu would take them through to the playoffs; likewise for Waikohu.

“It is such an important game for both those teams as they try to make top four,” netball commentator Sherrill Beale said.

“I expect another close and competitive game.”

But another scenario arises if Lytton High can beat training mates Whangara Old Girls, in which case Whangara’s third placing could be in jeopardy.

Lytton have come into some form lately, and traditionally lift their game against Whangara.

They beat Girls’ High, albeit by one goal, and they drew last week with Waikohu.

“These two teams have had close games against each other this year, so it should be the same tomorrow,” Beale said.

“The students won’t make top four this year, but they will want to take this win against their coach Ronnie Martin’s other team.”

Whangara have struggled to find consistent form this season. They will need to hit the ground running tomorrow, otherwise the Lytton students could undo them.

In the other game, Girls’ High and Waikohu go up against each other with some fine recent results.

Girls’ High have beaten High School Old Girls and YMP in recent weeks and have developed extremely well as a team.

Waikohu have found good form, too, with a win against Whangara and a two-goal loss to YMP.

Centre manager Allisa Hall said it was fantastic that the last games of the round still had so much bearing on the outcome of the premier grade.

“We could not have scripted it better for the excitement of our competition,” she said.

In other grades, reigning A Grade champions IMS HSOG Masters have finished top seeds again and will face Campion Senior A at 11.45am in Semifinal 1.

“This is Campion’s first top-four finish since they won the grade in 2009,” Hall said.

“Campion and HSOG have had a win each in the two competition rounds, so this game could go either way.”

The winners will advance to the final on August 18, while the losers will meet the winners of the elimination semifinal between Tatapouri Sportsfit and Old Girls Whangara at 12.40pm.

In the A Reserve Grade, YMP (2) are in their third consecutive top-four semifinal. They play Farmlands Ngatapa at 1.35pm.

“YMP have won both games between these sides this season but Ngatapa will be hungry for the win to advance to finals.”

The third-versus-fourth game at 12.40pm is between Horouta Hiriwa, new to the competition this year, and Claydens Waikohu (2).