SMOG MP lift game, fail to capitalise
BY CLAY WILSON
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A slick first-half showing from Harlequins Radich Law proved the difference, as they comfortably won their top of the table clash with Pelorus Richard Bateman Motors at Marlborough Lines Stadium last night.
Quins moved the ball patiently through the court and frustrated Pelorus on defence to open up a substantial halftime lead that was too much for the boys to pull back.
In an improved performance, Quins Scaffold Marlborough were too strong for SMOG Marksman Plastering, pulling away in the final quarter of their match, while a strong middle period saw SMOG Peter Ray Homes take the honours against clubmates SMOG Stainless Systems.
Harlequins RL 54
Pelorus RBM 45 Quins played some of their best netball of the season in the opening 30 minutes, frustrating Pelorus on defence and showing composure on attack. Midcourters Laura Murphy and Mhicca King fed the shooting circle well with Kimberley Gibson (25/28) and Kate Gaudin (10/12) converting almost every scoring opportunity Quins had as they opened up a 17-goal lead at halftime.
Some tough words were said in the Pelorus camp at halftime and they certainly worked as the boys came out with more energy in the third quarter to rattle off eight of the first nine goals. Centre Glynn Adams and wing attack Wirihana Bristowe began to drive with more force through midcourt as the boys showed a bit more hustle on attack, closing the gap to 12 at three-quarter time.
Although Pelorus managed to peg back a further three goals in the final quarter, Quins remained composed in attack and defence to come away with a well deserved victory.
Quins coach Victoria Greenwood-Loose was very pleased with an all-round team effort, saying all of her players turned in impressive performances.
"We were a lot more composed and patient this week. We had to keep it really short and do lots of work off the ball. I thought we played as a team and it was nice to watch."
Pelorus captain Nick Rayner was full of praise for a tight Quins defensive unit, saying his side took too long to find their feet.
"In the second half we showed a bit more hustle and played with a bit more heart, but I felt like defensively they had us beaten."
He mentioned the hardworking Bristowe and relatively inexperienced goal keep Shaun Foley as standouts, while goal shoot Shiloh Walsh did well with the ball he was getting up against strong Quins goal keep Rachel Agnew. Harlequins SM 50 SMOG MP 23
After a 69-16 drubbing last time out against Quins, SMOG coach Deb Schollum was upbeat about her side's performance against a more experienced team.
Quins were into their work right from the opening whistle, scoring the first nine goals. Some tight defensive work from their midcourt meant SMOG struggled to find any flow in attack, and aside from a tighter period at the start of the second quarter, Quins dominated first-half proceedings, taking a 24-11 lead into the break.
The third quarter brought the best period of the match for SMOG, more impetus through the midcourt and some accurate shooting from Nicola Payne and Georgia Crawford helping them to match Quins goal for goal.
It was one-way traffic in the final stanza, though, Quins shifting up a gear as Anna McLindon shot 15 of 28 and they pulled away to a comfortable winning margin.
Quins centre Bridget Gane said it was a mixed performance from her side, complementing a better effort from the SMOG youngsters.
"A lot of stop/start, really, it was hard to keep our composure and we made a lot of basic errors. I take my hat off to them. They played well." Goal shoot McLindon found space well and shot 43/53 on the night, while midcourters Serena Hounslow and Rochelle Alexander were industrious, picking up numerous intercepts.
SMOG coach Schollum said her side were out to prove they had improved from round one.
"I thought we played as a team and worked hard. They are experienced girls and we held our own and stayed positive throughout."
Schollum said wing defence Taylor Rodgers and goal shoot Nicola Payne stepped up well, while the circle defence on Stacey Chandler and Senja McCloy worked hard against a strong Quins shooting combination.
SMOG PRH 57 SMOG SS 48
In the end the speed and experience of PRH proved superior, but the young SS side certainly weren't daunted by the task, making PRH worked hard for the points.
Locked up at 14-14 at quarter time, PRH started to find their timing in the second stanza, driving well through midcourt and finding their shooters with regularity. Playing the game at pace, PRH had a nine-goal advantage at three-quarter time as goal shoot Kate Parsons shot a perfect 11 from 11 in the third period.
SS didn't go away, though, and helped by tireless work from centre Emma Moore, made PRH work hard right until the final whistle in an 11-11 last quarter.
PRH coach Megan MacKenzie was very happy with the overall performance from her side, saying when they got their timing right and got the ball flatter things worked a lot better for them.
Bek Scherp was a standout at centre, driving well through court, while wing defence TJ Pemberton was strong in her last game for PRH this season. Shooters Cara Wiapo and Kate Parsons were also impressive, netting 87 and 74 per cent respectively on the night.
A game of ups and downs was how SS coach Monica McKone described her team's effort, saying they were guilty of being a little static at times.
"It was a better effort than last week, but once they get their tails up they are pretty hard to stop though."
She mentioned the combination of Sophie and Claudia van Velthooven as a feature for her side, while Moore had another strong game at centre, linking the defence and attack well.
- The Marlborough Express
