A GRADE – KALANGADOO 61 d HATHERLEIGH 58
IN the much-anticipated Mid South East netball A Grade second semi-final, Kalangadoo claimed a nail-biting three-goal victory over Hatherleigh to book a grand final berth.
The game began as expected, with plenty of defensive pressure from the Magpies which saw an early held-ball call against the Eagles to set the scene.
For the magpies, Jayde Peacock was driving hard, while Melissa Russell was holding well in the goal circle and converting her opportunities or managing to rebound any missed shots, while Abbey Duncan was also a creative play-maker in the goal circle.
Tegan Merrett was influential for the Eagles at wing attack, her speed and accurate passing into the goal circle impressive,while Keston Green was on target, shooting 10 for the quarter.
Kalangadoo’s finals experience showed as they settled quickly and took a three-goal lead to the first break.
The start of the second quarter saw Maddie Pulmer take a brilliant intercept, breaking Kalangadoo’s first centre pass.
However, the Magpies broke back, applying pressure from one end of the court to the other.
Chloe Pratt was embroiled in a tense and physical battle with Merrett, while Green and Lacey Haines gained confidence in the goal circle for the Eagles, Green backing herself in and shooting from long range.
Haines’ speed caused headaches for the Magpie defence line, with Merrett having the trust in her to shoot fast passes into the Eagles goal attack.
Pulmer and Maddie Redman slowly gained the upper-hand on Russell and Duncan, while Green continued to pose a threat to the Magpies, shooting 11 for the quarter.
The Magpies steadied late in the quarter, composing themselves and shooting with accuracy, while the Eagles missed a few shots late.
The game was tied up at half time, 31-31, with Hatherleigh winning the quarter by three.
The start of the third quarter saw Duncan start well, finding space in the circle, rotating and working well with Russell.
Kalangadoo’s work rate appeared to increase and forced Hatherleigh into making some errors.
Hatherleigh centre Lara McGregor left the court about half way through the quarter, bringing Chelsea Galpin into the game.
This seemed to unsettle the Eagles slightly and Kalangadoo took advantage.
Russell then collided with Redman in a contest and left the court with a knee injury, with Ebony McDiarmid replacing the shooter for the remainder of the game.
However, Kalangadoo finished the quarter strongly, piling on 19 goals and missing only one to take a five-goal lead to the final break.
The start of the final quarter saw both sides step up the intensity.
Hatherleigh switched its defenders in Pulmer and Redman which proved effective early. However, nerves began to play a part, with both teams’ goalies missing a few shots early.
In a physical quarter, Pratt, Peacock and Merrett all put their bodies on the line, with Merrett leaving the court under the blood rule.
Again it appeared to unsettle the Eagles, with Kalangadoo taking advantage.
Magpie defenders Croser and Pitt put the Eagles’ goalies under pressure, but Green and Haines remained composed, shooting well until the final siren.
Hatherleigh outscored Kalangadoo in the final quarter, but thanks to their five-goal lead at three quarter time, the Magpies came out on top by three to advance to the grand final.
Hatherleigh heads to the preliminary final against Tantanoola and would hope for a win and another crack at the Magpies.
A RESERVE – KALANGADOO 46 d GLENCOE 44
IT was another tight contest in the A Reserve match, with Kalangadoo claiming a two-gaol victory over Glencoe.
Accurate shooting by Kalangadoo goalies Ebony McDiarmid and Madi Bonano ensured the magpies were up at the first break, while Glencoe’s Tameka Medhurst and Chloe Pfitzner worked hard in defence to limit the damage.
Kalangadoo remained cool and pushed out to lead by three goals at half time, but the Murphies made changes at the main break in an attempt to counteract the Magpies.
While Glencoe worked hard after the break, Kalangadoo increased its lead by a further goal.
Glencoe came out firing at the start of the last quarter and closed the margin, with the game tied up with just minutes remaining.
Kalangadoo settled and McDiarmid put on some impressive shooting to hit nine goals for the quarter and help secure the two-goal win.
B GRADE – KALANGADOO 49 d GLENCOE 41
A sustained effort saw Kalangadoo claim a win over Glencoe in the B Grade final, despite a huge effort from the Murphies.
Kalangadoo looked composed, but Glencoe applied plenty of pressure through the mid-court to take a three-goal advantage at the first break.
Kalangadoo adjusted in the second term to take the lead, albeit by just one goal at the main break.
From there the magpies looked in control, with an eight-goal lead at the final break before claiming the well-deserved victory.
B RESERVE – KALANGADOO 48 d HATHERLEIGH 45
Kalangadoo continued its impressive senior run with a three-goal victory over Hatherleight in the B Reserve match.
The two sides were evenly matched throughout the minor rounds which played out in the semi-final clash.
The Eagles held a five-goal lead at the first break, but some changes to the Magpies lineup saw Kalangadoo back to within one goal at half time.
The intriguing contest continued after the break, with the game then tied up at the final change.
Kalangadoo lifted the defensive intensity in the final term togain a jump and hold on for an entertaining victory.
17 AND UNDER – HATHERLEIGH 70 d KALANGADOO 49
Hatherleigh claimed a strong victory in the Under 17’s match against Kalangadoo in a show of strength at the top junior level.
Lacey Haines showed why she is an integral part of the A Grade side as well, working hard in the goal circle with Dakota Hateley to control the contest.
After just one half of netball the Eagles were up by 14 goals and continued on from there.
They outscored Kalangadoo 21-9 in the third term, then in a closer final quarter when the game had been decided, the Eagles still claimed the quarter and a big win.
15 AND UNDER – MOUNT BURR 47 d HATHERLEIGH 45
The first match set the scene for a competitive day of netball, as Mount Burr claimed the win by just two goals over Hatherleigh.
The biggest margin of the game was just three goals as the two sides traded blows.
With just five minutes minutes to play Mount Burr had created a two-goal lead abd held on to claim the hard-fought win.
13 AND UNDER – KALANGADOO 68 d HATHERLEIGH 21
In the youngest battle of the day, top-of-the-ladder and undefeated Kalangadoo took on claimed a dominant victory over Hatherleigh.
The Eagles were simply outclassed by Kalangadoo, resulting in a one-sided scoreline.
Hatherleigh kept fighting, but Kalangadoo was too strong all over the court as they rush towards a premiership flag.
