Waikohu and HSOG toe to toe in grading

Looking to pass: High School Old Girls wing attack Courtney Stubbins looks to pass beyond Waikohu wing defence Jasmine Stevens. Picture by Paul Rickard

Waikohu and High School Old Girls fought out the toughest match on Day 2 of premier netball grading on Saturday in a seesawing contest that could have gone either way.

Claydens Waikohu and F45 High School Old Girls went toe to toe for the full 40 minutes before Waikohu emerged 30-27 victors in the Pak’nSave competition clash.

“This was the game of the day in the premier matches,” Gisborne Netball Centre manager Allisa Hall said.

“The lead changed throughout the match and the score was always close.”

High School Old Girls picked up a bonus point for a loss within three goals.

In the afternoon, Waikohu followed up that result with their second win of the day, 36-28 against Horouta Gold.

Waikohu led 23-10 at halftime and 30-16 at three-quartertime but then Horouta staged a dramatic fightback.

“Waikohu started strongly, but Horouta had a great second half and won the last quarter, scoring a dozen goals to Waikohu’s six,” Hall said.

Whangara Old Girls and YMP Sunshine Brewery had commanding wins.

Whangara were too good for Gillies Electrical Gisborne Girls’ High School, dominating from the outset. The quarter scores told the story. They led 13-4 after 10 minutes, then 20-9 at halftime, 30-15 at three-quartertime, and 40-17 at the end.

YMP eclipsed Ritana Senior A with an even more emphatic display. They led 13-4, then 23-7, 34-9 and 40-9.

The students had no answer to the tight YMP defence and could not contain YMP’s attack.

In their second match, YMP put out a similar performance against Girls’ High Senior A, winning 44-24.

YMP were up by nine goals after 10 minutes and never looked back, although Girls’ High were able to keep the margin smaller than Ritana had managed.

YMP led 23-9 at halftime, and 35-16 at three-quartertime.

Premier: Whangara OG 40 Gillies Electrical GGHS Snr A 17, YMP Sunshine Brewery 40 Ritana Snr A 9, Claydens Waikohu 30 F45 HSOG 27, YMP Sunshine Brewery 44 Gillies Electrical GGHS Snr A 24, Claydens Waikohu 36 Horouta Gold 28.

Premier Reserve: Claydens Waikohu (3) 26 Tapuae 33, Tatapouri Sportsfit 19 OG Whangara 32, Taiki 25 YMP Masters 28.

A Grade: McLeods Concrete HSOG 32 FarmCare HSOG 23, Horouta Taimana 34 YMP (2) 23, Farmlands Ngatapa 53 Whalis 20.

A Reserve: Claydens Waikohu (2) 48 GGHS Korihi 18, Campion Snr A 29 Steve Craill Ngatapa 16, GGHS Snr B 30 Tatapouri Sportsfit (2) 18.

First Grade: GGHS Jnr A 22 Uawa Ngarangikahiwa 9, OBM Blue 29 Tyre General Ngatapa 23, Thistle Storm 28 Gis Glass Ngatapa 26.

First Reserve: Kotahi Aroha 24 GGHS TSA 2, Zeafruit Ngatapa 20 Tata Sportsfit Social 26, XLR8 9 Wahine Hauora HSOG 40.

Second Grade: YMP Manawanui 15 Claydens Waikohu (4) 36, OBM Red Social 21 Uawa Kahukuraiti 26.