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NETBALL
YMP moved further ahead on the points table and Horouta Gold won their first match of the season in an exciting night of Pak’nSave premier grade netball last night in the Gisborne YMCA.
The good-sized crowd was entertained by two excellent matches to finish round two of the premier competition.
Defending champions YMP Sunshine Brewery defeated Taste One High School Old Girls 46-42 in a match that was closely contested for the full hour.
YMP were up 12-10 after 15 minutes, were just ahead 24-23 at half time, then pulled ahead 36-30 at three-quarter time.
“Both teams gave a good display of netball skills tonight,” said netball commentator Sherrill Beale yesterday.
“The spectators were entertained by some very impressive intercepts from both teams.”
Beale pointed to the shooting stats at both ends of the court.
“Both goal shooters, YMP’s Paku-Jane Skudder and HSOG’s Ashleigh Brown finished their team’s attacking moves with some great shooting.
“It was a very enjoyable game to finish the round.”
YMP coach Ingrid Brown said HSOG pushed them all the way in what was a physical game.
“It felt really good to win it.
“We are lucky we have some versatile players in our squad and they really delivered last night,” Brown said.
“I was especially pleased with the performance of Jayda Banks in her first outing at goal attack.
“She had an impressive game and was our player of the match.”
HSOG coach Tanya Owen said errors let her team down last night. “But I think to have stayed within four goals of YMP was pretty impressive, considering those errors.
“There were a lot of positives for us to take out of the game,” Owen said.
Champers Horouta Gold squared up the tail end of the points table when they recorded their first premier win of the season.
They beat Gisborne Girls’ High School Senior A 50-44.
The winners led all the way — 14-11, 30-24 and 42-34 were the first three quarter scores.
“Horouta played as a team tonight and pressured Girls’ High into making errors at crucial times.
“Their goal attack Challis Rutene used her experience to direct the ball in the attacking end and worked her way into the goal circle to finish off with some great shots for Horouta.
“At the other end, defenders Lucretia Taitapanui and Simmy Taitapanui worked together well.
“They made the students’ attackers work for every pass.”
Beale said Girls’ High had some good passages of play.
“But they could not pull back the deficit and were denied a bonus point by losing outside the five goal difference.”
The results last night have created a couple of log jams lower down the points table.
YMP have shot out to a lead of 24 points, then Claydens Waikohu 1 and HSOG are on 17, Whangara Old Girls are just behind them on 16, then GGHS Snr A, Ritana Snr A and now Horouta Gold are all on six points.
Plenty at stake, for everyone, heading into the next round.