St Matthews expecting tough battle

St Matthew's Collegiate have been widely tipped as the team most likely to end Harcourts's unbeaten run in Netball Wairarapa's premier one competition this season but coach Jo McKenzie says they still have some way to go before that becomes a reality.
Instead McKenzie's focus is wholly and solely on the challenge likely to be posed them by Gladstone All Blacks in their match at the Colombo road courts tomorrow.
She has noted the huge improvement made by Gladstone All Blacks since matches in the top six section commenced and with semi-final berths still very much on the line she is anticipating a hard-fought and close contest.
"All Blacks have been the big improvers and we're certainly not taking anything for granted," McKenzie said.
"They are a good all-round side with a strong defence and we have a lot of respect for them."
The St Matthew's coach says consistency or more correctly the lack of it has been her team's main problem through most of this season but she was delighted with their teamwork last weekend when they hammered Kuranui College 54-21.
"Everything went pretty much according to plan there, we got on top early and just kept it going," she said.
"It would be nice to think we could play like that every week but it hasn't happened yet."
A big part of the St Matthew's success on that occasion was the accurate shooting of Sophie Ross and it will be interesting to see if she can repeat that effort against an experienced and wily Gladstone All Blacks defence spearheaded by the likes of Celia Donaldson.
St Matthew's, too, have a powerful defence with Ashley McDougall and Jesse Smith leading the way there.
The other premier one match this weekend is a catch up game between Celtic Marist and Kuranui College and here too victory will be keenly sought so as to keep semi-final aspirations alive.
The resourcefulness of Celtic Marist will be tested to a substantial degree as they will be able to have only five players on the court at any one time because of a penalty imposed upon them earlier in the season for not fulfilling their umpiring duties in the lower grades.
On the face of it this should give Kuranui a huge advantage because they will have two extra players on court but Celtic Marist coach Dayle Clarkson has been around the scene long enough to nut out a tactical approach which keeps the students guessing.
The importance of victory to Celtic Marist in this game was heightened after they lost 51-33 to Harcourts in a match played earlier this week while Kuranui College bounced back from their hefty defeat to St Matthew's to beat Carterton Sports Arena 52-40.
The current points list is (all teams have played three matches except Harcourts and Carterton Sports Arena who have had four): Harcourts 16, St Matthew's Collegiate 9, Gladstone All Blacks 8, Celtic Marist 4, Kuranui College 4, Carterton Sports Arena 0.