Match reviews from Fitzroy Stars 1 vs Ivanhoe 1 and Bundoora 1 vs Diamond Creek 2 in Round 10 of Section 1 netball.
Section 1 Round 10 – Fitzroy Stars 1 vs Ivanhoe 1
by Marisa Sopcic
Fitzroy Stars 1 remain in second place on the Section 1 netball ladder following an eight-goal win over Ivanhoe at RMIT University in Round 10.
The Stars managed to pull away in the final term to secure a 55 to 47 victory, which improved their win-loss record to 7-3.
Quick passes were the driving force in errors in the first quarter, as both teams had their fair share of turnovers on some poor passing decisions.
Both the Stars and Ivanhoe found it equally as tough to hold possession early on, with score remaining tight as a result.
Fitzroy goal shooter Natasha Atkinson-Brown positioned herself well alongside the ring during the term, using her height for lobs directly in her scoring range.
The movement by Ivanhoe’s goal attack Leanna Sartori gave her side the upper hand around the circle, as she was always in front to catch the pass.
After looking in trouble during the midpoint of the quarter, the Stars gained forward momentum in the final minute to close within six goals at quarter time.
Ivanhoe conceded another goal early in the second quarter. Although Atkinson-Brown was shaky on her first attempts, she was able to take several rebounds to giving herself multiple chances to score.
Ivanhoe had issues during the second term in containing the Stars shooters and gave away several goals from penalty shots.
As the quarter wore on, Ivanhoe goal keeper Ebyan Cabdi’s eye for intercepts kept the ball from coming into the circle on the centre pass. Cabdi also made it tough for the Stars when going up for rebounds.
After a hard-fought second quarter, just three goals separated the teams ahead of the third.
Ivanhoe broke on their centre, giving the Stars the opportunity to make a clean run into the circle, from which they converted.
The Stars were quick to tie the as intense pressure began to mount on Ivanhoe to land their shots in a bid to stay ahead.
Taking the lead, the Stars found a pattern of movements that worked well for them coming into the circle.
Despite looking poised to run away with the game, the Stars themselves started to falter and rushed passes which handed possession back to Ivanhoe – who in turn levelled the game.
Fitzroy took a minor lead going into the final term, but began opening up the court well during the fourth quarter.
Goal keeper Jessica Bamblett’s skills in the ring gave the Stars a leg up in the final quarter, as her side began restricting Ivanhoe’s scoring, before breaking away when chances presented at the other end of the court.
Ivanhoe also gave away some crucial possession that would have kept them in with a chance, which the Stars took advantage of to run out eight-goal winners.
Final score: Fitzroy Stars 1 (55) def Ivanhoe 1 (47)
Section 1 Round 10 – Bundoora 1 vs Diamond Creek 2
by Marisa Sopcic
Diamond Creek 2 jumped up to third place on the Section 1 ladder after claiming a 12-goal win over Bundoora 1 at RMIT University.
A tight knit first quarter was overthrown by Diamond Creek, who proved the stronger side for the remainder of the night.
Diamond Creek’s defence started their game off with two steals on Bundoora’s centre passes.
The great defensive start kept Bundoora on edge and a break on their own centre gave Diamond Creek another advantage at the post.
Bundoora tightened its play as the quarter continued and went into the first break trailing by just four goals, after doing well to halt Diamond Creek’s early momentum.
Diamond Creek’s defence worked tirelessly to halt Bundoora’s forward advances, while Kendall Fitzpatrick and Hollie Wilson were equally desperate in the defensive circle of the Bulls.
Playing in front for the ball allowed Diamond Creek to take intercepts in Bundoora’s attacking end and make clean plays down the court to their shooters.
The Creekers enjoyed an extended purple patch during the second term and broke the game wide open, by continually keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
Bundoora ended the half on a much better note and began looking more confident and composed down the court. The Bulls slowly got their edge back and reduced their half time deficit to 11 goals, when a blowout had looked on the cards.
Diamond Creek maintained its comfortable advantage during the third quarter, although Bundoora’s defenders displayed great vision to haul in several intercepts and keep the pressure on their opposition.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, they struggled to hold onto the ball down the court and didn’t create enough chances under the ring to make a big impact on the scoreboard.
Starting the final term 13 goals behind, Bundoora needed to utilise their centre passes more in the final quarter to keep themselves in the game.
The Bulls were far more accurate with their passing in the final term, creating very strong plays throughout the quarter and were able to take a lot of shots at the post.
But the strength of Diamond Creek’s defenders Lynsey Barrett and Simone Turner meant there was no room for errors for the Bulls and they collected rebounds on any missed shots.
In the end, Diamond Creek did what was required to hold sway throughout the final term and held on for a much-deserved win – their sixth of the 2019 campaign.
Final score: Bundoora 1 (40) def by Diamond Creek 2 (52)
