Netball: Battle of the islands goes down to wire

By Suzanne McFadden


A solitary goal stands between the North and the South in New Zealand netball.

Last night South beat North 51-50 in the final of the first-ever Star Series. But North won points for proving the gulf between the two islands is not as wide as some feared.

North led the match in Dunedin until the final quarter and only let it slip in the dying minutes. They had the ball in their hands on the way to their goalpost when the final whistle shrilled.

North coach Leigh Gibbs, a dyed-in-the-wool Southerner, had no problem revving up her team's loyalty.

"I told them to get some pride in the North - to try to readdress the balance of netball power," she said. "I believe they've done that."

South coach Lois Muir admitted her side were a little lucky to walk out of the stadium with a victory last night.

"They had a bit of a rest at the end of the round robin and found it tough coming back to play," she said.

"In the future, I'd like to see a round robin without a final. It would be fitting for the team who played consistently through the week to win."

South ended the week unbeaten - North won just one game from four.

But North turned it on for the most important game of all.

It wasn't a pretty start. It was goal-for-goal - North leading 15-13 at the first break - but it was also turnover-for-turnover.

Both teams were guilty of hesitating with the pass, slowing things down at times to walking pace.

South midcourter Anna Rowberry, who had spirited opposition from North's wing defence Louisa Wall, tweaked an ankle in a heavy fall but carried on.

North coach Leigh Gibbs wanted fresh legs in the second half to carry on the impetus from their 29-26 lead, and made big changes accordingly.

Midcourters Jenny-May Coffin and Wall came off; Temepara George and Megan Dalgety came on. At the back, Kate Dowling - who had made some useful intercepts - went to the bench and Silver Fern Linda Vagana entered the game.

The move appeared to have worked, George settling in immediately, and Norths accelerated to a six-goal lead. But they got the speed wobbles at the end of the third quarter, holding on 41-38 at the break.

South lifted their game in the final 15 minutes, as the parochial Southern crowd warmed up their vocal chords.

Goal attack Donna Loffhagen, sporting a bandage on a bruised knee, started putting up the long shots, with her usual success rate, while Lesley Nicol fired up the defence cutting down North's attacking options.

South had 13 more attempts at goal during the game, but their shooters were not as accurate as the North's Teresa Tairi and Tania Nicholson, who both ended with percentages in the 80s.