Heat 4 have continued their perfect start in the NFNL winter netball grading competition, defeating Diamond Creek 4 by four goals at Mill Park Sports Stadium.
After trailing in the first quarter, Heat ramped up the pace in the remaining three terms, scoring 10, eight and eight goals respectively to finish 31-27 winners.
Katrina Dawes was dominant in goal attack, scoring 18 goals, while Izzy Brennan had a big second half, with eight goals, to help Heat begin the 2022 campaign 4-0.
The goal defence work of Farheena Faiyaz also had a big influence on the result, keeping Creekers’ goal attack Lily Ricardi to just two goals.
While Ricardi’s impact was limited however, Emma Sargeant did all she could to keep Diamond Creek in the hunt for the whole match, the goal shooter scored a brilliant 25 goals, which was her highest single game tally so far this season.
Sargeant’s dominance in shooting circle came right from the first whistle, as she shot eight of the Creekers’ nine first term goals.
Both Dawes and first half goal shooter Vanessa Moles had a slow start to the game, combining for just five Heat goals in the quarter, with Diamond Creek defensive duo Grace Kearney and Paris O’Day proving difficult to score against.
The Creekers led by four goals at quarter time but it would be the last lead they’d have for the remainder of the match.
Heat turned a four-goal deficit to a two-goal lead in the second term, scoring 10 goals for the quarter while limiting Diamond Creek to just four goals.
Dawes and Moles were an excellent combination, making the most of every Heat attack while Faiyaz’s goal defence work was vital in keeping possession for her side.
With a two goal half time lead, Heat continued to put their foot down.
Dawes was the main target for the Heat midcourt and she delivered, scoring six of Heat’s eight third term goals, while Sargeant’s five goals for the Creekers was all her side could manage in the quarter.
Despite a five goal deficit heading into the last stanza, Sargeant did all she could to get her side over the line, scoring all nine of Diamond Creek’s last quarter goals.
But Heat still managed to score eight goals themselves, led by another six from Dawes, to ensure the four goal win.
