A thrilling finish at Community Bank Stadium saw Laurimar 1 and Epping 1 produce a draw in their first Division 4 match up of the 2023-24 NFNL senior summer netball competition.
After winning the opening three quarters, the Blues led by eight goals at three quarter time before the Power dominated the last term, scoring 10 goals to two. However, time prevented them from finding the go-ahead goal, with both sides having to settle for a 22-22 draw.
Megan Kabe was superb in Epping’s defensive circle, forcing opposition passes to go awry and over the baseline.
However, Power midcourt duo Kirstie Arnel and Michelle McTaggart would produce terrific defensive gains of their own, with the pair playing a key role in their side’s final quarter comeback.
The first quarter saw the two teams trade goals in a fairly even contest. Epping would lead by two at the first break, but Laurimar were still well and truly in the game.
The rotation in the Power’s shooting circle was effortlessly clean. They weren’t afraid to pull off sneaky shooter to shooter passes or create some triangle plays around the circle edge, all which worked to their advantage.
Some clean intercepts from Ella Carr got Laurimar back in the running, and eventually saw them take the lead momentarily in the second quarter. But Epping’s overall defensive pressure caused several uncharacteristic turnovers in the Power’s attack.
It allowed the Blues to pull away and extend their advantage from quarter time to four goals by the end of the opening half.
They weren’t afraid to take risks in attack, keeping the Laurimar defenders on their toes. The hard work of Madison Brown, and her ability to produce accurate passes inside the attacking circle, was rewarded through the shooting of Ebony Albon, who finished the game with 12 goals, 11 of them coming in the first three terms.
Epping would score eight goals to four in the third quarter and looked to have created a comfortable eight-goal advantage approaching the final term.
But Laurimar’s defensive efforts and full court transition went to another level in last quarter. They were dynamic in getting the ball from their defensive third to the attacking circle, constantly putting the Blues on edge.
Laurimar goal keeper Lisa Pretty’s one on one pressure was a highlight of the term, as she forced numerous turnovers in Epping’s attack end, turning the momentum of the game as a result.
It saw the Power score the final nine goals of the game, as every made shot drew them closer to a miraculous comeback. However, with their tying goal coming in the final seconds of the match, they were unable to push forward for one more attack, with the final whistle signaling the end of a brilliant match.
