N.Z. ‘lucky’ to beat Australia in netball

Press, 15 July 1982, Page 6

N.Z. ‘lucky’ to beat Australia in netball

PA Palmerston North In a tense and crowd-pleasing match, New Zealand edged out Australia. 53-52 in the second netball test at the Manawatu Sports Stadium last evening. Needing a win to keep the three-test series alive. Australia shrugged off the role of underdog and threw everything it had at an experienced New Zealand line-up. Both teams began scrappily ■with wild passing and sloppy positional play, but more accurate shooting 'and good feeding into the circle gave New Zealand a two-goal advantage at the end of the first quarter. Australia came back strongly early in the second session with two quick goals and a combination of “player-to-player” defence and forward-court pressure enabled it to match the New Zealanders blow for blow, levelling the scores at 17-17, then again at 19-19. The two teams were then locked goal for goal until New Zealand’s defence of Marilyn Monro and Yvonne Willering picked up several brilliant interceptions, which gave the home side the breakthrough they needed and a half-time lead of 30-27.

In the third quarter the Australian defence shut out the New Zealanders, and the Kiwis had to Work the ball around the circle to reach its shooters, Margaret Forsyth and Te Aroha Clarke.

The New Zealanders struggled to find an answer to the Australian tactics, but came out on top by the end of the third quarter by one goal. With nothing to lose the Australians came out fighting in the final quarter and scored three

goals in quick succession to snatch a two-goal lead, 42-40. The gutsy New Zealanders retaliated in kind, flashing in three rapid-fire goals to regain their lead. The advantage see-sawed as Australia drew level, then moved ahead 46-44 as its goal-shoot, Anne Sargeant picked up two crucial goals. With the New Zealand attack hurrying goals under pressure, the Australians capitalised with a better understanding between their players, moving to a threegoal advantage. 49-46. With time ticking awav, thes tireless Willering -made several superb interceptions, and the. steady hand of Forsyth enabled j the New Zealanders to draw / even, then charge ahead, 52-50. ) In the last minute, Australia pulled two goals back to level, but the home side struck back with a last-gasp effort to clinch the match and the series. After the match, the Australian coach, the expatriate New Zealander, Pamela Barham, said . her players had given a 100 per cent effort, and had "extended themselves pretty well.” Her New Zealand counterpart, Lois Muir, described the match ‘ as "a great crowd pleaser.” “We were lucky to win,” said the national coach of years/“A draw ; would have been a fair result." ■

Waikato’s Forsyth potted 22 goals out of 33 attempts, while the goal shoot Clarke,' in her second appearance for New Zealand, was successful with 31 of 41 shoots.

For Australia, the goal attack, - Sue Hawkins, found the goal 315 times with nine misses, while the tall Anne Sargeant missed 16 of her 37 attempts. • /