A Grade Eagles fall short in tight battle with Keith

Kaitlin Egan Crop Dsc 22272019042720190427  TBW Newsgroup

Kaitlin Egan Crop Dsc 222720190427 TBW Newsgroup
IN CONTROL: Penola A Grade coach Kaitlin Egan looks up the court for opportunities during round three of Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara netball on Saturday at McCorquindale Park. Pictures: THOMAS MILES

A GRADE: Keith 47 d Penola 43

PENOLA A Grade netballers faced a tough challenge at home when they hosted Keith in round three of Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara netball on Saturday.

The Eagles went down by four goals, but not without a fight.

The game went goal-for-goal for majority of the first quarter, with Keith ahead by one at the first break.

Penola came out firing in the second quarter, with Chelsea Bradley and Brooke Klemm creating many defensive turnovers and reboundsich allowed the home side to take a six-goal lead to the main break.

The third quarter saw Keith hit back, outscoring Penola 15-9 to tie the contest up at three quarter time.

The final quarter saw Keith create early turnovers and capitalise to take the upper hand.

This put the Eagles on the back foot and caused them to play catch up netball.

In the end Keith took the game by four goals in a high-quality contest.

Best players for Penola were Klemm and Sarah Lock.

A RESERVE: PENOLA 48 d KEITH 45

ANOTHER close game was contested in the A Reserve match, but this time the home side on top.

The Penola girls started the first quarter well in what was a fast-paced game.

Accurate shooting April Possingham saw the Penola girls take a seven-goal lead to the first break.

Keith came out with strong defensive pressure in the second term, which forced many errors and bad decision making, which resulted in a nine-goal turnaround.

The third term was even with neither side able to make a break.

Penola finally began to take control in the final term, with strong pressure around the court.

Some timely intercepts by Chloe Long gave the Eagles the lead and they maintained the pressure until the final whistle.

Best on court went to Lauren Foster and Long.

B GRADE: KEITH 40 d PENOLA 35

IN a tightly-contested B Grade game both Penola and Keith were determined to make every possession count.

Both sides had to work hard for a turnover and when they created the opportunity the shooters made sure they counted.

Penola’s defensive effort was strong for the entire game, creating smooth passages of play and driving into attack.

Nicole Hayes played a focussed and controlled game, providing plenty of voice on the court and was well supported by Mandy Gartner.

Teegan Galpin put in another solid performance, shooting consistently and providing stability in the goal circle.

Despite strong pressure from Kerry Dent at the defensive end of the court the Keith goalies were able to finish the game accurately for a close victory.

Best for Penola were Hayes and Gartner.

C GRADE: KEITH 36 d PENOLA 26

THE final 10-goal margin in the C Grade game did not show the work rate of the Penola girls on the day.

The first quarter was a tightly-contested affair, with the Eagles trailing by just one goal at quarter time.

However, Keith created a handy margin through the middle quarters with strong defensive pressure, which forced turnovers in Penola’s attacking end.

Keith took advantage and drove strongly through the mid-court to finish off well.

A few changes in the last quarter saw Penola fight back, with a more fluid, open brand of netball.

Unfortunately the lead created by Keith was simply too much to pull back and the Eagles went down by 10 goals.

Best players were Jacinta Jenkins and Tammie Berkin.

17 AND UNDER: PENOLA 35 D KEITH 22

THE top junior 17 and Under girls managed a solid victory after a couple of weeks without a game.

They were fresh and ready to go, which was apparent in the opening term.

Anna Marcus created the first turnover of the game and the Eagles started to build their lead.

The game then went goal-for-goal, with defenders at both end working hard to get multiple turnovers.

By half time the Penola girls had a created a three-goal buffer, with plenty to do after the main break.

Kate Skeer led the charge in the second half, with all girls firing which saw a strong finish to the game for a 13-goal advantage at the final whistle.

Best players were Marcus and Skeer.

16 AND UNDER: KEITH 48 d PENOLA 15

PENOLA suffered at the hands of Keith in the 16 and Under game, despite a strong start.

Keith took control in the middle of the match, but the Eagles continued to fight, with their last quarter one of their best.

Jess Eastwood and Maddie Copping gave their all and were judged best players.

15 AND UNDER: KEITH 57 d PENOLA 15

PENOLA faced a very strong Keith in the 15 and Under game, with perfect playing conditions.

The girls were strong in defence, but unfortunately Keith’s goalies were very accurate.

The second half of the game saw improvements with stronger game play and confidence.

Tess Porter stepped up to the challenge to fill in, while Amelia Henry worked well in defence.

13A: KEITH 31 d PENOLA 27

WHILE the 13A Penola girls went down to Keith, it was a close contest and not decided until the final whistle.

The first three quarters saw the Eagles’ defence work well together, with accuracy in goals and constant pressure through the centre court.

A change at half time kept the pressure up, with all players adjusting to their new positions.

Keith came out firing in the first five minutes to gain a strong lead, but Penola fought back to steady the pace of the game and bridge the gap.

However, Keith did enough to claim the points in an etertaining game.

Best players were Stella O’Brien and Rosie Moorhouse.

13B

THE Penola girls played a competitive game against Keith, maintaining strength and determination throughout the contest.

Charlize, Lilly and Zara were strong in defence and kept their eyes up on the ball and stayed light on their toes, which resulted in many turnovers.

The attacking lineup showed much improvement, with more of the ball by gaining the front position.

The coach’s award went to Lucy for constant improvements in her game.

13MOD

THE young 13Mod Eagles had a tough day, with a few players out of the lineup.

Hayley Moulton was welcomed to the court for her first time and played a consistent game, shooting a couple of goals and leading well.

Jazz, Grace and Mia rounded out the forward line and led well all game, with some good passes inside.

Ella, Lilly and Jaeda worked tirelessly in defence, taking many turnovers, rebounding well and driving hard out of defence.

Jaeda Rowsell earned best player for her rebounding and Hayley Moutlon won her award for her strong leads.