Defending netball champion beaten

Press, 28 August 1986, Page 40

Defending netball champion beaten

PA Auckland North Shore’s defeat yesterday of the defending champion, Wellington, in the national netball championships has set up a battle today between the four teams trying to stay in touch with unbeaten Auckland.

Wellington, Canterbury, Waikato and North Shore have each suffered a loss in the Trust Bank Tournament.

Today Wellington will play Canterbury, while Waikato will meet North Shore. ’ I

Both games will be crucial, in the view of Canterbury’s coach, Kay O’Reilly. /

“We need to win to keep in the reckoning,” she said. “There are four of US' on one loss. Tomorrow’s results will halve that field again.” North Shore, which finished two quarters with 10-goal leads won the match, 61-47.

North Shore’s goalkeep, Denise Felix, dominated the Wellington goal-shoot, Jillian Smith, and contested every ball; while North Shore’s goalshoot, Tracy Eyrl, potted

shots from all over the circle.

Canterbury had a 63-42 win over Manawatu in an often disjointed match.

Manawatu showed brief signs of revival in the last quarter, mainly because of the accuracy of its halftime replacement shooter, Erica Meuli.

Canterbury Country experienced fluctuating fortunes on a day when it narrowly beat Western Bay of Plenty and suffered an even more slender loss to Taranaki,

After leading, 24-21, at the interval, lapses in concentration allowed Western Bay of Plenty to go three goals clear in the second half of the morning game. But fine defence by Maxine Loffhagen, Sue Graham and Jo Sullivan, complemented by accurate shooting at the other end, enabled Country to regain the initiative and win, 4641.

A fine second-half come-back, after Country had trailed by 10 goals at the break, just failed in the afternoon. Country drew level with Taranaki at 36-36, but could not

avoid vital mistakes in the closing minutes, losing, 38-40.

First grade

Division A: Auckland 59, Waikato 47; Canterbury 63, Manawatu 42; North Shore 61, Wellington 47. Points: Auckland 4, Canterbury 2, North Shore 2, Waikato 2, Wellington 2, Manawatu 0.

Division B: Otago 56, Southland 50; Wellington Subs 47, Rotorua 39; Thames Valley 57, South Waikato 57. Points: Otago 4, South Waikato 3, Thames Valley 3, Wellington Subs 2, Rotorua 0, Southland 0. Second grade Round four: Taranaki 35, Counties 32; Canterbury Country 46, Western 8.0. P. 42; Hutt Valley 37, Auckland Subs 29; South Canterbury 45, Waikato Subs 35; Nelson 32, Northland 25; Wanganui 40, Hawkes Bay 32.

Round five: Auckland Subs 38, Western 8.0. P. 38; Taranaki 40, Canterbury Country 38; South Canterbury 56, Northland 41; Hawkes Bay 41, Nelson 29; Hutt Valley 40, Counties 29; Wanganui 37, Waikato Subs 27.

Points: South Canterbury 10, Wanganui 10, Counties 6, Nelson 6, Taranaki 6, Auckland Subs 5, Canterbury Country 4, Hawkes Bay 4, Hutt Valley 4, Northland 2, Waikato Subs 2, Western 8.0. P. 1.