MATCH: Aztec 2 v Mellons Bay 2
DATE: Friday, 29th June 2012 RESULT: 23 - 52 Mellons Bay 2
- ¼ time score 4-11
½ time score 13-24
¾ time score 16-40
TEAM:
Alison White, Ariana Page, Chelsea Bilton, Ngamira Warren, Nicola O’Malley, Sara Lendrum, Sarah Inkster, Shaiann Hemi, Terri Anne Paea, Tracey Spence, Lucy Bremner, Mary Jane Ale
COACH: Wendy Bremner MANAGER: Josephine Otene
STARTING LINE UP:
Inkster GS, O’Malley GA, Bremner WA, Page C, Ale WD, Lendrum GD Spence GK.
BENCH:
White, Warren, Paea, Hemi, Bilton (Absent)
Without a specialist GA we have struggled in the RPL plate round and with Bilton overseas tonight and White with the flu we had extra pressure on the girls. We started off hesitant and failed to sink the first attempt and the ball went up and down the court a few times before Mellons broke. It set the tone for the game and we struggled to find our shooters. Squandered possession hard earnt by our defenders gave away our opportunities to stay within touch. The quarter was slipping away from us and so was Page’s shoe as it came off. Another turn over and we were now 4 goals behind 4-8. Bremner called injury time and came off, Page moved to WA and White went on at centre. O’Malley had failed to find form in the quarter so she too came off to be replaced by Warren in an unfamiliar role in the attacking circle. Mellons consolidated their position and scored another 3 goals to finish the first quarter in front by 7.
First quarter score: 4 - 11 Mellons Bay
Spence moved to GA and Warren to GK as the 2nd quarter commenced, Mellons made no changes throughout the game. We seemed to have more options in this quarter at the attacking end but still only had one shooter putting up shots. Ale was hunting and gained 3 intercepts in this quarter and Lendrum 2 rebounds. Inkster scored 9 from 11 attempts but Mellons had 2 shooters turning to the post and scored 13 from 18 between them increasing the lead by another 4 to take the half time score to 13 - 24 Mellons Bay
Spence went back to GK and Page went to GA and Hemi to WA. This didn’t work at all as we failed to get the ball into our circle again, struggling to find the circle edge to feed and despite White and Ale intercepting the ball three times in this quarter we just were completely outplayed. Mellons put up 19 shots to our 7 and scored 16 to our 3. It was like the girls were shell shocked in this quarter. An extremely disappointing quarter that allowed Mellons to more than double their lead to 24.
Third quarter score: 16 - 40 to Mellons Bay
Bremner came on at GA, Page went back to WA and Paea came on at C with Warren returning to GK. The girls are to be admired for keeping their heads up in this quarter and staying goal for goal for the first 10 minutes of this final period of play. We had the same number of attempts at goal as Mellons for the first time in the game, but the pressure of being the only specialist shooter was showing on Inkster and her accuracy dropped to 50% as she scored 7 from 14. Mellons scored another 12 and ended the game with a decisive victory 23 - 52.
We had defeated Mellons earlier in the RPL tournament and the result tonight was extremely disappointing. However if you don’t have at least 2 specialist shooters who are on form in your team at this level of netball you will be punished. We hope to reverse the result when we meet next time.