Another last-minute loss leaves Wairarapa frustrated

It was very much a case of de ja vu when Wairarapa were beaten by just two goals by Manaroa in the last of their regional superleague netball matches played at the Walter Nash Stadium in Porirua on Sunday.
The slender 43-41 defeat left Wairarapa coach Marion Tulloch again lamenting her team's habit of being competitive in practically all of their superleague games but all too often being headed off in the last couple of minutes of play.
"It's been a frustrating season from that point of view," Tulloch said. "We've consistently been right in the game to the very end but failed to finish things off."
The loss left Wairarapa in eighth place in the 12-team competition,a far cry from last season when they took out the championship in its inaugural year.
However, that was always going to be a hard act to follow through Wairarapa losing most of their 2005 squad and the addition of teams from Wellington's premier inter-club series.
Tulloch said Sunday's match produced a lot of turnover ball with both teams having trouble retaining possession because of a combination of strong defence and basic handling and passing errors.
"We had trouble working the ball into the shooting circle, especially in those last few minutes," Tulloch said. "We just weren't solid enough under pressure."
Wing defence Lisa Manihera was the standout player for Wairarapa, impressing with her high workrate , while Harriet Somerville, whose availability had been in doubt because of illness, came on at centre in the second quarter and made an immediate impact with her speed and anticipation.