“They are building trust, they’re having fun and that shows week to week in the beautiful performance each player is giving.”
The score was close throughout. The final quarter saw Pirates coach Casey McDougall make a few changes with Arcadia Fantham into GD and Tai Turia into WD, changing the rhythm of their defensive end, and Melissa Timoti into GS. The changes, coupled with experience, gave Pirates the win, 36-31.
After a solid training on Sunday, and team discussion about performance, the young Phillips Electrical Whanganui High School A1 team came out on Monday doing just that.
Coach Lisa Murphy was proud of her girls and how they never gave up, being down in the first half of the game, taking opportunities and winning with an outstanding last quarter, scoring 11 goals in a row against Marist Mint A1.
“It was nice to have our team back to near full strength after a bout of injuries,” Murphy said.
“The girls all stepped up as a team and did their job, which is all I ask. It was lovely netball to watch.”
The final Premier 1 match of the evening was the top-of-the-table clash between Kaierau Mitre 10 Mega A1 and Kaiwhaiki A1.
Kaiwhaiki started well, while Kaierau took a bit to get their rhythm but built slowly over the last three quarters. The strong Kaierau defensive unit meant the young Kaiwhaiki shooters had to work hard to get within their range. Kaiwhaiki’s mid-court worked tirelessly on attack but full team Kaierau defence forced errors and turnover ball, which gave them the game, 38-28.
“It is always great to play Kaierau and was lovely to see smiles all around from both teams after the game,” Kaiwhaiki coach TeRina Peina said.
The results of Monday’s games mean Kaierau A1 will play Pirates at semifinals next week, Kaiwhaiki will play Marist A1 in the other semi, and Collegiate will face Whanganui High School for the 5th/6th playoff.
Having not lost a game since the opening round on May 13, Kaiwhaiki A2 coach Parekura Cribb felt it was the perfect lead-in to the semifinals for her team. Facing second-ranked team Kaierau Gemini Pepper A2, she did not underestimate her opposition.
“It was a really exciting game that exposed a few areas we still need to work on. For the most part, we played well and executed our game plan. We certainly won enough ball defensively but our commitment to the attacking processes and structures that have served us well over the season wavered in critical moments, which is something we’ll unpack at training this week,” Cribb said.
Kaierau A2 coach Kristin Ashworth was thrilled to see her players remain composed and play to their plan and structures. After a disappointing loss last week to Tech A1, the experienced Kaierau side will regain their confidence after a narrow win in the final minutes, 37-34.
Mt View Marist A2 had a solid win over the Whanganui High School Juniors, 37-18. These young schoolgirls have worked tirelessly this season and shown great improvements. They are a credit to coach Bailee Kauika who has enjoyed seeing them build and never give up. It is very exciting for the future of netball at our centre to see such talent at such a young age in our premier competition.
Tech A1 played Kaierau Moore Markhams A3, beating them 47-28, solidifying them in the top four. Semifinals will be very exciting in this grade. Kaiwhaiki A2 come in first, with Kaierau A2, Tech A1 and Marist A2 all finishing on equal points below them, with goal differential being the deciding factor on rankings.
Semifinals will see Kaiwhaiki A2 play Marist A2, and Kaierau A2 face Tech A1. Kaierau A3 and Whanganui High School JA1 will play off for 5th and 6th.
Round times are 5.45pm, 7pm and 8.15pm. Come along to Springvale Stadium next Monday for what promises to be a very exciting night of netball. Check out the draw on the Netball Whanganui website.
Gourmet Express will be outside with coffee and food, and the atmosphere will be something you won’t want to miss.
