By DAVID NAGEL
A GRADE champions of the last two years, Pakenham (2013) and Doveton (2014) fought out a thriller in round six of the South East Netball League at Robinson Oval on Saturday.
The Lions’ brave 51-49 win over the Doves was crucial in the grand scheme of things, propelling them to fourth on the ladder and knocking the reigning-champs out of the top-five.
The win, according to Pakenham coach Kerry Twyford, was the result of a fierce determination throughout the group.
“Doveton came at us, and they’re the premiers so they’ve set the benchmark, so I was just really proud of our girls to be able to cope with that pressure,” she said.
Goal attack Claire Gibbs partnered well with Toni Dart (GS) to give the Lions a slender two-goal lead at half time which the visitors held onto until the very end.
Hampton Park has added further heartache to Cranbourne coach Simon O’Shanassy, the Redbacks downing the Eagles 29-26 in blustery conditions at Casey Fields.
O’Shanassy is definitely on the right track but must be rueing the night he smashed a mirror, walked under a ladder, and ran over a black cat on the way home from training. The Eagles have now lost four games by five goals or less.
Berwick has shaken off a strong third-quarter effort from Tooradin to win 54-29 at Edwin Flack Reserve.
The Wickers looked set for a huge victory at half time, but the efforts of Michelle Barnes, Ebony Dolan and Stacey Sawyer saw the Seagulls outscored by just one goal in the third term.
Berwick’s goalers, including Lynne Moyes, Emily Wilson and Amanda Goodie are finding their range right now and might be a handful to stop as the season unfolds.
Beaconsfield has made the difficult trip to Starling Road seem easier than it really is with a comfortable, 46-33, victory against ROC. All the Eagles’ stars were firing as the perennial finalists moved from sixth to third with their fourth win of the season. ROC coach Scott Eastwood will need to fire his girls up this week ahead of a difficult trip to Hampton Park.
Narre Warren had the bye.
