Netball: Rebels pay price of poor shooting

The Rebels' Frances Jackways (R) looks for a way past the retiring Diamonds' Anna Rowberry at Waitakere Stadium yesterday. Picture / Martin Sykes

A 55 per cent shooting record is not going to win matches, as the Rebels found out at Waitakere Stadium yesterday, in losing to the Diamonds.

The Rebels and the Diamonds had 60 attempts at goal each, the difference was the Diamonds landed 46 and the Rebels just 33.

In the first quarter the Rebels duo of former Silver Fern Angela Mitchell and current Silver Fern Jessica Tuki could manage only a woeful 6 goals from 20 attempts.

Otago Rebels coach Janine Southby gave credit to Diamonds defenders Anna Scarlett and Stephanie Bond but said her players knew what to expect.

"The pressure the Diamonds put our shooters under, we have to be equal to that and have to turn and slot those goals. Defensively and up to our goal circle we were fine ... but you can't win games if you are not sinking shots."

In what was a patchy game, the Diamonds made use of their opponents' difficulty under the hoop and had six points on the board before the Rebels finally got one, nearly five minutes into the game.

With the Diamonds ahead 11-6 at the first quarter break, the win was never in doubt. They pushed out to a 10-goal lead midway through the second quarter, which they gradually extended as the match went on.

Defenders Scarlett and Bond clearly had the better of their rivals, while Diamonds shooters Grace Rasmussen and Maria Tutaia are slowly forming a useful combination.

Diamonds coach Sue Hawkins said she was disappointed with her side's high turnover rate but was happy that she was able to make changes through the match and not lose momentum.

"We have to keep our turnovers to a minimum and any opportunities we get we have to score off them."

In the other match played yesterday, the Flames came close to scoring the biggest comeback of the round.

Trailing the Force by 12 goals at halftime, the Flames stormed back to within two of the North Harbour side in Christchurch. Force coach Yvonne Willering said there were no goals scored in the first four minutes of the game. "We won that game on defence, not just our circle defence but our through-court defence. We had a good first half then basically froze on attack. We got into a situation of helping each other rather than sticking to our own tasks," Willering said.

The Force's shooting percentages were also not great. They ended the match with a 64 per cent shooting record - Megan Dehn ended with 15 from 23, Catherine Latu 13 from 16 and Daneka Wipiiti 6 from 14. The Flames scored a slightly more respectable 73 per cent.

In the other matches of the round the Magic and the Sting both scored comfortable wins over the Shakers and the Flyers respectively.

The Shakers did a good job at staying in touch with the Magic in the first half but some wayward play in the third quarter proved costly. The match signalled the return of Magic defender and Silver Fern Casey Williams, who broke her foot during the Commonwealth Games.

Results
 
* Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 62
Capital Shakers 43

* Southern Sting 78 Western Flyers 33

* Auckland Waitakere Diamonds 46 Otago Rebels 33

* Northern Force 34 Canterbury Flames 32