Carterton Sports Arena coach Sue Eagle was not surprised at her team's 40-29 win over Fagan Motors Hot Shots in the latest series of matches in Netball Wairarapa's premier one competition.
It was Carterton Sports Arena's first victory of the 2009 season but Eagle had been pleased enough by the progress
shown by them in recent fixtures to believe they could break their "duck" on this occasion.
"I thought it would be an even game, one which either side could win," Eagle said. "For us it was all about sticking to the game plan and trusting that would get us home, and it paid off."
Eagle sees no reason either why Carterton Sports Arena shouldn't continue to produce good results in the weeks ahead.
"We've got some very talented players and I'm sure the best hasn't been seen of them," she said. "They are still developing confidence in each other, there's a lot of improvement to come yet."
The next assignment for Carterton Sports Arena is against Gladstone All Blacks at the Genesis Recreation Centre in Masterton on Friday night. Coach Eagle accepts they will start underdogs against opposition which have won three of their five games to date but at the same time she expects them to make a bold showing.
In Sally Newcombe Carterton Sports Arena have a defender with the assertiveness to make life difficult for the Gladstone All Blacks shooters while Anna Stuart in midcourt and shooter Emma McGovern should be prominent in their respective positions as well.
The other premier one match on Friday night will see Harcourts take on Wairarapa College and the question there is not whether Harcourts will maintain their unbeaten record but how big their winning margin will be. They are averaging something like 67 goals a game this season and nothing should change in that respect here.
Tomorrow evening's premier one games should be interesting affairs. St Matthew's Collegiate and Kuranui College will do battle in the first of them with Kuranui perhaps starting the slightest of favourites while Celtic will be expected to beat Fagan Motors Hot Shots in the match which follows.
