Whalsay made to work hard for win
First division netball leaders Whalsay remain on course for the title, but they were made to work all the way for their single-goal victory over Kinetics. Loungers’ hopes of staying in touch took a blow when they went down to Kiwis. In the second division Unst are unstoppable, their latest win being a thumping 42-13 triumph over Supernova, while Da Hooligans are still undefeated in division three.
Division One
Whalsay 31, Kinetics 30
Both teams were evenly matched throughout the first half with goal-to-goal play. Kinetics linked well up the court with good passing from Louise Fraser and Fiona Shearer.
Whalsay’s defence of Sarah Kay and Natalie Polson were working the Kinetics shooters hard. The score at the end of the first half was 17-16 to Whalsay.
Whalsay started the third quarter strongly with excellent shooting from Vaila Kay who rarely missed a shot. Kinetics’ play was scrappy and they were making unnecessary mistakes which Whalsay quickly picked up on and converted, making it a three-goal lead at the end of the quarter.
The final quarter saw both teams suffer injuries in defence. Kinetics managed to fight back and had a run of goals which lead to a nailbiting finish with Whalsay winning by one goal.
Players of the match were Vaila Kay for Whalsay for her superb shooting and Louise Fraser for Kinetics.
Kiwis 38, Loungers 23
The previous match involving these two teams was an extremely close encounter with just one goal separating them. As a result both teams took to the court focused on victory.
Kiwis settled quicker with every player working hard to defend and make important interceptions early on, allowing them take the lead. At the end of the first quarter Kiwis led 10-6.
Loungers appeared more focused in the second quarter and worked hard to try and narrow the lead. However, defenders Fiona Dally and Brenda Leask were working hard against the Loungers shooting partnership of Paula Sinclair and Stella Oldbury, forcing them to take shots from further out in the circle. The shooters kept their nerve and shot well under pressure, but could not dent the Kiwis lead. The half-time score stood at 18-13.
The third quarter saw the Kiwis step up a gear, their mid-court of Karen MacKay, Julie Kirkness and Anne Wood working tirelessly defending and working the ball up to the shooters. Dawn Manson and Marie Clark were creating space in the Kiwis circle and shooting well, making it difficult for the Loungers defence of Louise Moar and Jennifer Thomson. At the other end of the court Wood, Leask and Dally were defending excellently, limiting the Loungers’ shooting opportunities. This resulted in the Kiwis extending the lead.
The last quarter saw Loungers make better use of the space on court, holding and driving on to passes allowing them to get the ball up court quicker and smoother than the previous quarters. Hazel Uren and Julie Grant were particularly influential with this. However, that did not affect the Kiwis’ game and they continued to defend well and have patience working the ball in to the shooters. This allowed them to further extend the lead by the final whistle.
Brenda Leask stood out for Kiwis with her excellent defending and constant support in attack while Julie Grant was best for the Loungers with her determined play and tireless running.
Division Two
Unst 42, Supernova 13
Supernova were missing a few centre-court players which hindered their normal game, but the young Nova lasses played well against a strong Unst team. Alice Mullay for Unst was involved in all areas of the court and helped them to a 12-3 lead in the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Nova move Hannah Burgess into centre and this helped their passing up the court. Unst brought on Shona Johnson, who played with determination and did some excellent feeding into the Unst circle. Unst extended the lead to 22-8.
Supernova moved Liz Haining back to GS in the third quarter but without her powerful play helping to get the ball up the court, the Nova players struggled in the centre third. However, Unst were flowing well and the quarter finished 32-10.
In the final quarter there was some gritty play from Supernova as they competed for every ball. There were also some great long-range shots from Lois Gray. Unst continued to play well with Megan Burn having some great interceptions.
Players of the match were Alice Mullay for Unst and Liz Haining for Supernova.
Division Three
Ness 25, Mavericks 37
The game began with fast play from both sides. Well-timed passes teamed with accurate shooting from both sides resulted in a 9-9 end to the first quarter.
The second quarter saw the fast passing continue with some careless mistakes from both sides. Mavericks took advantage and pulled ahead by four goals to end the quarter at 18-14.
The third quarter was well fought by Ness who made changes to their shooters and defence. Mavericks also made changes and managed to keep up with the fast pace more accurately than Ness, giving them a 27-21 lead.
Both teams came back on in the final quarter with determination but Ness were unable to close the gap and Mavericks continued to link well into the circle.
Sonja Jamieson was player of the match for Ness while for Mavericks it was Amber Inkster.
Burra 18, Da Hooligans 37
Both teams started well but it quickly emerged that Da Hooligans were the stronger. However, Burra were working well as a team and were determined not to give the game away too easily. The first quarter ended 9-5 to Da Hooligans.
Burra fought hard to the end but Da Hooligans were just too strong on the day.
The players of the match were awarded to Heather Henry for Burra and Shelley Sandison for Da Hooligans.
Scalloway Juniors 23, Scallywags 20
The game began with really good defensive work from Pauline Moar of the Scallywags and good passing from both teams, making the first quarter really close, ending with Scallywags leading 6-5.
In the second quarter the Juniors were able to pull ahead thanks to good defending from Erin Sandison and Kirsty Duerden. The quarter ended 13-9 to the junior team.
The third quarter saw Scallywags close the gap with good shooting from Cindy Pottinger. Scalloway Juniors still held on to their lead, with accurate shooting from Cheryl Goodlad and Julie Brown. Scalloway juniors kept a lead of 19-17.
The fourth quarter saw determined play from both teams but good work around the circle saw the Juniors clinch the victory.
Players of the match were Naomi Johnson for the Scallywags and Julie Brown for Scalloway Juniors.
