Waikohu target spot in premier-grade top four

PRESSURE: Waikohu’s Hannah Ormond takes the ball under pressure from High School Old Girls’ Katie Kirkpatrick. Waikohu play YMP tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

A RESURGENT Waikohu take on YMP in premier-grade Pak’nSave netball at the YMCA tomorrow morning, and much hangs on the result for a Waikohu team battling to make the top four.

Claydens Waikohu will have been encouraged by a result on Wednesday night — Whangara Old Girls’ two-point loss to YMP — that keeps Waikohu within striking distance of third-placed Whangara.

Cheryl Te Rito’s team go into tomorrow’s game in fifth place on 17 points, a point behind Gisborne Girls’ High School and six behind Whangara.

Four points tomorrow morning would lift Waikohu into fourth spot. Based on recent results, they can do it.

Waikohu knocked over Whangara by a couple of goals last week and YMP Sunshine Brewery struggled to beat Whangara by two goals on Wednesday night.

“It’s going to be a good tussle between Waikohu and YMP,” netball centre manager Allisa Hall said.

“Waikohu have definitely been coming into some good form recently.”

Their coach said her team felt “pretty good” about tomorrow.

“The girls are quite pumped,” Te Rito said.

“They are in a good head-space and have been encouraged by recent results.

“They know they are not without a chance of making the top four, and a win tomorrow would certainly help our cause dramatically.”

Te Rito said the team had got used to the changes to their game plan and that had led to their lift in performance.

As well as beating Whangara, they had lost by just one goal to Taste One High School Old Girls.

“They have worked hard at the game plan, and stuck to it, and it’s paid off,” Te Rito said.

Stormy Merritt would return to the team tomorrow and should make an impact.

YMP coach Ingrid Brown expects a tough match.

“It will be a good game. Waikohu are strong contenders,” she said.

“We need to put them under pressure at our defensive end to disrupt their shooters.

“From our attacking point of view, we need to maintain our flow down court and contest every ball.”

The match begins at 10am.