Netball: Late burst sees Fideliter 3 claim tough win

With senior netball swinging back into action after Queen's Birthday weekend, Fideliter 3 and Onerahi 2 were quick to shake off the holiday mood in a battle which went goal for goal.

Onerahi 2 started well, and led initially, before falling off the pace in the final quarter to go down 43-35 after there was only a goal in it at the end of the first, second and third quarters.

For Onerahi 2 on Saturday, Rhiannon Cooper had a solid game at goal keep with some good tips. Leah and Tracee Valli in mid court combined well with Casey Williamson at wing defence, all working tirelessly on attack and defence.

Sarah Drinnan at goal shoot dominated the shooting circle and shot well in the main.

For Fideliter 3, Avala Knight at goal shoot shot well after a slow start. She was ably supported by Louise Morgan at goal attack who directed play in the circle, found some good positions and shot accurately.

Wahine Toa 2 and Marist had a similar final score with Marist the winners by 44-33.

Marist started strongly and were up by 10 goals at the half, however, Wahine Toa 2 matched Marist in the second half with the third quarter drawn and the final quarter had Marist up by one.

For Marist, the defence of Germaine Gibson and Catherine Ryan proved a good combination and they linked well with Lisa Verevis at wing defence. Rachel Thornton and Te Aroha Palmer in mid court were strong on attack and they brought the ball down the court strongly into the shooting combination of Jamie Dunn at goal attack and Rebecca Simper at goal shoot.

For Wahine Toa 2, Rachel Diamond at wing attack had a strong attacking game and Pare Kingi at goal defence worked hard and put good pressure on the shooters.

Manawanui White were again dominant as they had a big win over Wahine Toa 1 by 62-27. Manawanui White had a big first quarter to lead by 14 goals, following it up with a strong final quarter, winning this by 10 goals.

The middle two quarters, however, were a lot more competitive and there were only a few goals between the sides.

For Manawanui White, Sian Telfer and Cherith Schragg combined well in defence for periods of the game to put pressure on the Wahine Toa 1 shooters as they hunted the ball outside the circle and came up with intercepts and tips. Grace Cooper at goal attack got numerous rebounds and played a strong placement game in the circle.

For Wahine Toa 1, Rita Himiona got some outstanding intercepts as she read the game well in defence. In mid court, Charissa Moir and Michelle Allen kept up a high work rate. Sophia Thomas at wing attack was also strong later in the game.