NETBALL - Frustrated Fideliter 1 suffer surprise defeat

We threw away a ton of ball, were pulled up for stepping and it was the negative turnover that cost us - what makes it really frustrating is most of the girls have been playing together for a number of years.Loren Eagle
Coach and goal keep for FideliteA frustrated Fideliter 1 team left the court after their surprise 43-34 loss to Whangarei Girls' High School on Friday night in Whangarei Netball's premier grade competition.
Loren Eagle, coach and goal keep for Fidelite, said the premier runner-ups last year had a disappointing second round of competition, with an error-ridden performance against the school girls, who finished the 2008 season holding the wooden spoon.
"We let them [WGHS] dictate the whole game," Eagle said.
"We hesitated with the ball and lost our flow, and didn't stick to the game plan."
Although happy enough with the shooting efforts of Emma Hearsy and Tina Cachemaille-Bayne, basic errors across the court plagued Fideliter's performance at Kamo High School's gymnasium.
"We threw away a ton of ball, were pulled up for stepping and it was the negative turnover that cost us - what makes it really frustrating is most of the girls have been playing together for a number of years," she said.
Centre/wing attack Miranda Jex-Blake is the only newcomer to the squad this year which has got off to a very slow start.
"We won last week against Fideliter Development by quite a bit (40-26) but we started poorly then too," she said.
Confidence continued to rise in the schoolgirl contingent, who despite losing by 10 in round one, played courageously with determination that should see them shuffling up the ladder this year.
Coach Hayley Taylor said the unexpected win over the leaders in their pool left her and the girls buzzing.
Trailing by one after the first quarter, Taylor made several changes and tried a new combination - one which may just suit the new-look team, she said.
Luana Beazley-Tango moved into goal attack from goal defence, and combined with Amelia Smith in the circle beautifully and the pair lifted, shooting from big distances and moving the ball well, while centre Sian Telfer showed her versatility moving to goal defence and along with goal keep Jaimee-Lee Tito, applied plenty of pressure on Hearsy and Cachemaille-Bayne.
Up at half time by five, the school girls stretched their lead out to nine by full time, playing controlled and patient netball.
"The win should keep us out of the promotion-relegation round in three weeks time - we just have to make sure it wasn't a one hit wonder," Taylor said.
Takahiwai and Whangarei Old Boys were up next at Kamo High School and had the hard ask of producing more exciting netball.
However, a closely fought game across the four quarters had supporters on the edge of their seats with Takahiwai looking as if they would do some damage to Old Boys. Old Boys prevailed however, overcoming Takahiwai's onslaught 50-47.
At Kensington Stadium, Marist 1 played Fideliter Development and were too strong for the under-21 Fideliter girls, defeating them 55-31, while Marist Combined kept Manawanui contained to win 54-40.
On Friday at Kensington, Fideliter 1 play Marist 1 at 6.15pm, followed by Whangarei Old Boys against Marist Combined at 7.30pm.
At Kamo, Whangarei Girls High are up again at Fideliter Development at 6.15pm, ahead of Manawanui against Takahiwai from 7.30pm.