Leaders Unst remain undefeated
Leaders Unst notched up another victory in division two of the netball leagues although nearest challengers Da McEwans also won to keep the gap at two points. The first division matches saw wins for AHS, Kiwis, Loungers and Whalsay while Ness defeated Scalloway Juniors in division three.
Division One
Challengers 30, AHS 43
The game started at a good pace with excellent shooting from AHS’s Ava Sim, which meant her team led 24-16 at half time.
Challengers never gave up and had some good interceptions from Marie Irvine and Dianne Thomson but it was a well-deserved win for AHS, a team who are improving with every game they play.
Challengers could not decide on a player of the match for AHS so they chose the whole team, whose spirit and play along with their attitude to the game is outstanding, something they should be proud of.
The Challengers players of the match were shooters Louise Anderson and Louise Johnson.
Kiwis 31, Whalsay 25
Whalsay quickly took a two-goal lead but Kiwis began to settle into the match and some good passing by Karen Mackay to attackers Dawn Manson and Marie Clark saw the teams draw level. The remainder of the first quarter saw both teams hold their own centre pass and it ended 8-7 to Kiwis.
The second quarter saw a more focused Kiwis edge ahead and some excellent defending from defender Brenda Manson and goalkeeper Fiona Dally forced Whalsay shooter June Williamson into an excellent long range shot from the edge of the circle.
Good movement from Manson and Clark of Kiwis saw them take control in the shooting circle and edge further ahead. However, Victoria Duthie of Whalsay intercepted two passes with some acrobatic leaping to keep Whalsay within reach. At half time the score was 18-12 to Kiwis.
The third quarter saw scrappy play from both teams, making interceptions but being let down with the final balls in to the circle. Kiwis managed to hold on to their six-goal lead at 25-19.
Kiwis emerged in the fourth quarter determined to hold on to their lead but Whalsay were equally determined to make a comeback. Both teams played more composed netball but it was Kiwis who managed to hold their centre passes and keep the lead.
Players of the match were Julie Kirkness for Kiwis and Catherine Williamson for Whalsay.
Loungers v Kinetics
Loungers were awarded the points as Kinetics could not field a team.
Challengers 33, Whalsay 45
Challengers started poorly and Whalsay took advantage and pulled ahead 22-15 at half time.
Challengers managed to settle and with some changes to their team kept their centres but Whalsay were too far ahead to catch.
Players of the match were Natalie Polson and Catherine Williamson for Whalsay and Marie Irvine and Louise Johnson for Challengers.
Division Two
McEwans 26, Unst 33
Unst took an early lead by picking up some loose balls along with some great passes in and around the circle and soon had McEwans trailing 12-6.
McEwans kept Unst at bay in the second quarter and regained a couple of goals due to some brilliant passing and interceptions in mid court between Maggie Kay Irvine and Eileen Robertson. The second quarter finished at 16-16.
In the third quarter Unst stepped up their game with some fantastic long-range shooting from Claire Priest and excellent play from Alice Mullay. Unst also kept a tight defence, making life difficult for the McEwans shooters Leona Williamson and Alison Williamson, and forged ahead again at 17-21.
The final quarter was a little more intense as both sides worked very well to keep the ball travelling from end to end, with some excellent passing from both sides. Both teams fought hard, with Gemma Manson of McEwans and Kathleen Johnson of Unst putting in a tireless effort.
Both teams competed for every ball right up to the final whistle, particularly McEwans’ Emily Shearer who worked hard to keep Unst’s Claire Priest out of shooting range. However, when given the opportunity Priest’s shooting was flawless.
Players of the match were Eileen Robertson for McEwans and Alice Mullay for Unst.
Wastside 30, Supernova 26
The first quarter remained even throughout with both teams keeping the flow of play constant and steady. Janette Clark and Pauline Walterson of Wastside linked well in the centre court, moving and passing accordingly to keep the play smooth. At the end of the quarter the score was level at 13 apiece.
In the next two quarters Wastside began to sneak ahead by stealing Nova’s missed goals and making good use of any other mistakes made. In defence for Wastside Alison Hunter and Erin Morrison made crucial interceptions and won rebounds which then provided their team the chance to attack again. Also with help from Julie Crossan playing centre, this gave Wastside shooters Julie Keith and Mhari Moncrieff an opportunity to score some more.
Despite this Supernova fought hard to compensate, with good play by Jenna Inkster in mid- court, tireless work from Jenny Wylie defensively and precise shooting by Liz Haining and Lois Gray.
In the final quarter Wastside WA Janette Clark came off and Kirsten Anderson took her place. Wastside wanted to keep their safe lead but their play seemed scrappy, making it a closer game. Supernova did manage to score a few more goals this quarter than their opposition but not enough to win the game.
Players of the match were Alison Hunter and Julie Keith for Wastside and Jenna Inkster for Supernova.
Division Three
Ness 21, Scalloway Juniors 16
The game began at a frantic pace with both teams taking a while to settle. Good defensive play by Kirsty Duerden and Erin Sandison for Scalloway Juniors forced the Ness shooters to work hard in the circle to receive the ball, while at the other end the Ness defensive duo Ruth Christie and newcomer Stephanie Adamson kept the pressure on so that the low scoring first quarter finished 3-2 in the Juniors’ favour.
Scalloway were the stronger team in the second quarter with some timely interceptions of the ball. This combined with accurate shooting by Cheryl Goodlad and Rowan Nicolson resulted in a two-goal lead at half time.
Ness made changes to their line-up during the break which boosted their attacking play.
Ness’s strong efforts to gain possession in centre court enabled more frequent passes into their circle where Rachel Adamson and Caroline Wood were consistently finding the net to give them a 14-10 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
The final quarter saw both teams settling to a rhythm of accurate passing and good, end-to-end play. Both sides showed a clear determination to win with every ball fought for and chances taken. Ness continued to defend strongly which enabled them to sustain their lead.
Players of the match were Caroline Wood for Ness and Cheryl Goodlad for Scalloway Juniors.
