Netball: Close games in preliminary round

Jess Cole (right) takes a shot at goal for Fideliter 1 while being defended by Manawanui White's Lil Rehana (GD). Photo / Judy MacDonald

The preliminary round of premier netball entered its fourth week at the weekend and produced a couple of close games.

The top-of-the-table clash between Active Refrigeration Fideliter 1 and Manawanui White was the game to watch.

Fideliter 1 led by three goals at the end of the first quarter and stretched this to lead to six goals by halftime.

They were then able to extend their lead by one goal in the third quarter and a further two goals in the fourth quarter to secure a 59-50 win.

For Fideliter 1, Lara Cooper at centre found form and played a fast, aerial game that she is known for. The defence combination of Kacey Potae at goal keep, and Alexis Chapman, then Rowie Davis Cooper at goal defence, came up with good turnover ball for the attack.

For Manawanui White, Kaea Robinson at goal defence, then goal keep was outstanding on defence, while Lil Reihana produced a nuggety performance at goal defence in the second half. Sherryn Schraag at goal shoot was dynamic and Jaelyn Walker, later in the game, was very accurate with her shots.

Whangarei Girls' High School (WGHS) Snr 1 came away with a close win against YHPJ Marist 1.

Marist 1 led at the first quarter by three goals but by halftime this had narrowed to two goals. The younger WGHS team had a big third quarter to take the lead by eight goals and fight their way through the final quarter to win 49-41.

For WGHS, Teina Rihari at goal keep and Shekania Cherrington at goal defence played great games on defence.

Amy Payton added to the defensive effort when she came on at halftime at wing defence and created crucial turnover ball. Maddy Gordon injected speed and drive into the shooting circle later in the game to combat the solid opposition.

Gordon combined well with Serai Murray-Wihongi at centre and Dani Kirby at wing attack in the second half of the game.

For Marist 1, Bella Drinnan at goal keep achieved timely intercepts and gained good rebound ball.

Whangaruru Premier looked sharp this week in their game against Manawanui Red and led from start to finish, playing well through each quarter to win 60-32. For Whangaruru, Reanon Hetaraka Sadler at goal defence had a great game getting a number of good clean intercepts.

She was also strong in bringing the ball through the court on attack. Sophie Tua at goal attack worked hard and provided some astute feeds to their tall shooter, Nicky Taylor.

For Manawanui Red, Michelle Allen at goal attack had a great game with some good turning, looking and putting the ball through the hoop.

Janice Brown at centre injected spark into the mid court and Harmony Kingi at wing defence provided good assistance. Ari Ihaka and Hayley Thompson in defence worked tirelessly and came up with nice rebounds and turnover ball.

Next weekend's promotion relegation concludes the round. The first championship round is on June 26.