YMP in final-quarter sprint, hoist Jan Duncan Memorial Trophy

BALL SECURED: YMP's Paku-Jane Skudder keeps the ball safe from Waikohu's Humaria Higgins during their club netball final on Saturday. YMP came out as the victors winning the game 59-43. Picture by Paul Rickard

YMP hoisted the Jan Duncan Memorial Trophy after the netball premiership final on Saturday.

Their final-quarter onslaught denied Waikohu any chance of a shot at the title.

YMP (1) defeated Claydens Waikohu (1) 59-43, but the final scoreline did not reflect how even the final had been up until the last 15 minutes.

As one long-standing player and umpire put it: “What a bloody good final that was”.

YMP led the Pak'nSave premier-grade final throughout, but only by the slenderest of margins for three-quarters of the encounter, played before a jampacked YMCA crowd.

The champions led 12-11 at the end of the first quarter, 27-24 at halftime, and 40-39 at three-quartertime.

Both teams gave a good display of netball skills in a close game for the first three quarters and gave their supporters plenty to cheer about.

There were lots of tips, intercepts, turnovers and impressive shooting from both teams.

In the last quarter, Waikohu made a couple of errors that YMP capitalised on. In the twinkling of an eye, YMP had scored eight goals before Waikohu scored one.

Halfway through it, the score was YMP 50 Waikohu 40 and the rest is history. YMP outscored Waikohu by 19-4 in the final period of the game, and they were cheered home by chants of “YMP — YMP — YMP” from their big gallery of supporters.

It was an outstanding team effort by YMP (1) with all players working together on attack and defence.

Paku-Jane Skudder and Jayda Banks gave a dominant display of goal shooting in that last quarter.

An elated YMP coach Ingrid Brown summed it up simply afterwards when she said, “We banked it!”

“That was an epic finish by the girls in the final quarter.

“We dedicate the win to our nans, especially our matriarch and our ‘pou', Nanny Maude, who passed away this year.”

Waikohu co-coach Cheryl Te Rito said her girls gave the final everything they had.

“My co-coach Pania Tomoana and I are just so proud of them for getting where they got this season.

“They all deserve praise. No one person got them to the final. They got themselves there and, hey, runners-up this year, winners next year!”

YMP (1) were presented with the Jan Duncan Memorial Trophy, as well as the Maori Women's Welfare League Cup for the highest goal average in Premier Grade and the Bess Logan Memorial Cup for the lowest goal average in Premier Grade. (They won both of those cups last year too.)

Claydens Waikohu (1) were presented with the Jan Duncan Trophy.

Across the road at Victoria Domain there were competitive games to finish the senior season as well, and it was pleasing to see the rain disappear before the two rounds of their finals started.