NETBALL - Season begins with morale-boosting win

Marist Old Girls Combination, Marist and Hora Hora were victors in the first round of premier netball at the Whangarei Netball Centre on Saturday.
Marist OG had a morale boosting 30-23 win over defending champions Whangarei Girls' High School, while their clubmates, Marist 1, were made to work in their match against favourites Takahiwai, before eventually taking first blood with a 36-31 win.
Hora Hora, meanwhile, had to pull out the stops to take a 37-27 win over new premier side Old Boys.
An interesting season awaits, with an abundance of new faces and the inclusion of Old Boys in the Premier grade after only a short time fielding netball sides in the Whangarei competition.
* Marist OG 30 WGHS 23
Marist OG were made to work against last year's championship winning WGHS outfit.
WGHS goal defence Anita Semenoff was the pick of the bunch early with a tenacious display against Marist OG shooter and captain Nicky Taylor. Defending champions WGHS are facing the curse of the school side, retaining just three players from last year's squad.
However, despite the new recruits averaging just 14 years of age they certainly made a match of it against their more experienced opposition, even coming out of the first half with a 11-10 lead.
It was in the third and fourth periods where the experience of Marist OG told.
* Marist 36 Takahiwai 36
A rejuvenated Sophie Tua shone in attack for Marist in their hard fought win over top seeds Takahiwai.
Tua's shooting was the difference in the most entertaining game of the day where neither side gave an inch. It started the way it finished with a flurry of activity, but it was the middle pieces which ultimately decided the match.
Both sides were guilty of lapses in concentration and many bodies hit the deck throughout the match.
Marist are fielding a number of new faces including a new coach in Charlotte Hardy. Hardy was satisfied overall with her team, who kept to the game-plan for most of the match. "We knew they were going to be tough and we had to maintain the intensity, we didn't do that right through," said.
* Hora Hora 37, Old Boys 27
New kids on the block, Old Boys, with goal attack Sharlene Wikaire a star, gave Hora Hora a mighty scare in the final match of the day - coming out of the first quarter with a four point lead.
Wikaire sped through the attacking end and combined well with her feeders to get the wood over her much taller opposition.
At the other end, Sasha Webb at goal defence and Sharayne Moir in goal keep ensured the going was tough for the Hora Hora attack, making timely tips and intercepts in quick succession.
It was the second quarter which turned things around for Hora Hora, with Kiz Crewther and Elizabeth Mexted in the circle and Koea Kaka in wing defence, tireless in their roles.