A review of the Northcote Park 1 vs Heidelberg 1 and Greensborough 1 vs South Morang 1 netball matches from Round 8.
Section 1 Round 8: Northcote Park 1 vs Heidelberg 1
Northcote Park scored its second win of the Section 1 season with a two-goal triumph over Heidelberg.
Friday night’s match at Parade College saw Northcote Park get an early jump to lead by seven goals in the first half, but Heidelberg kept up with its opponent by applying increased pressure and working hard to stay in the game.
Northcote Park’s early lead was thanks to the good work of shooters Christie Delauney and Dani Howe, who backed each other up after shots and worked well to score plenty of goals.
Heidelberg’s second-quarter effort to tighten the scores wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard. Defenders Vanessa Rischitelli and Claire Henderson forced turnovers and pushed the ball out of their defensive end, but Heidelberg couldn’t hold onto possession long enough to score heavily.
The third quarter started with Northcote Park ahead 23-16, however it proved to be the term that was the turning point for Heidelberg. The Tigers picked up their game, scoring more efficiently and earning possession from contacts made by Northcote Park around the circle.
The intense second half had both teams on edge, as well as the spectators. The scores were neck and neck throughout the third quarter as Heidelberg pushed within one goal heading into the last quarter.
Heidelberg started the fourth quarter with the centre pass and pushed forward to score to level the match. It started a strong scoring run for the Tigers, who pushed ahead to a 39-33 advantage.
With the game slipping out of their grasp, Northcote Park courageously clawed its way back to push back level.
The ball flew back and forth between teams, each one trying to take the lead with the scores tied at 39-apeice.
Heidelberg could only manage to shoot one goal within the final minutes of the quarter, while Northcote Park managed three to storm ahead by two.
The Northcote Park girls steadied the play down their end to hold off until the clock ran out and won the game.
Final score: Northcote Park 1 (42) def Heidelberg 1 (40)
Section 1 Round 8: Greensborough 1 vs South Morang 1
Greensborough moved into fifth place on the Section 1 ladder with a five-goal win over South Morang in Round 8.
The clash at Parade College was tight all night, with both teams neck and neck throughout all four quarters.
Greensborough and South Morang started off very close, with neither team able to score in the first couple of minutes of the game.
The ball was moved well between both teams until it was finally shot in for a goal by South Morang. This was quickly followed by a goal from Greensborough.
An offside and obstruction call made in South Morang’s shooting circle gave the Lions a chance to score. However, the Boro were quick to respond, shooting another goal to tie the scores at 3-all.
Soon after the Boro intercepted the ball off a South Morang centre pass and GA Madison Carroll scored from a long way out.
Her side almost lost possession on its centre pass but WA Imogen Ashworth recovered the ball and Boro were able to move forward and score to take a 6-4 advantage.
South Morang came back within a one-goal difference heading into the second term.
The second quarter slowed in pace after a frenetic opening term and as the half time interval neared only one goal separated the teams, with South Morang ahead.
South Morang steadied its play and GA Bianca Waligora scored a goal in the final seconds of the first half to give her side a 18-16 lead going into the third quarter.
The pressure increased on both ends of the court early in the third and Greensborough struggled to move the ball as effectively as it would like.
However, it was soon able to steady its play, which resulted in more chances for its shooters. The Boro pushed ahead on the scoreboard and with two successive goals and a turnover against South Morang late in the term, the Boro moved ahead 26-21.
The final quarter was close and intense as both teams worked hard to secure the win
South Morang worked hard to cut its deficit and managed to move within three goals.
However, the Lions were unable to get ahead as they felt the pressure of Greensborough’s strong defence in the final minutes of the game.
The win gave Greensborough its third-successive triumph as it continues its charge towards the top-four.
Final score: Greensborough 1 (40) def South Morang 1 (35)
