A Graders win semi in sensational style
Wednesday August 5, 2009
Cobar’s A Grade defensive force of Amie Jacklin (GD at front) and Vanessa Kurta (at back) were outstanding against their Hillston opposition in the Northern Riverina League Netball Competition elimination semi final at West Wyalong on Saturday. Both shared the Coach’s Award for their efforts. ▪ Photo contributed
The Cobar Blues A Grade netballers celebrated long and hard on Saturday night after their sensational win in the sudden death semi final of the Northern Riverina League Competition.
The Cobar girls were convincing 52-31 winners over Hillston in their elimination semi final played at West Wyalong on Saturday.
They were cheered on by a band of loyal supporters, which included a number of the Cobar B Grade players (who, as minor premiers of the B Grade competition, had a bye on Saturday) along with a number of players’ partners.
The very determined Cobar A Grade side came out firing on Saturday and never once gave their Hillston opposition any leeway or an opportunity to get back into the match.
A fall early in the game by the Blues’ key defender Amie Jacklin (which had their first aid officer Chelsea Kershaw working overtime to patch Jacklin up so she could return to the game) was the only blot on an otherwise perfect performance by the Blues with Coach Gerard Francisco saying he could have given his Coach’s Award to any of his seven players.
Jacklin gallantly finished the game (albeit with less skin on her knees and elbows that what she started with) and her efforts earned her the Coach’s Award honours which she shared with fellow defender Vanessa Kurta.
Francisco said he believed that Kurta had played her best game of the season and was inspirational for her team mates.
By the end of the first quarter Cobar had taken an eight goals lead and at half time Hillston was floundering and 14 goals behind.
The Blues continued to improve in the second half and went into overdrive in the final quarter to finish the match 21 goals ahead.
First Aider Kershaw was also kept busy ensuring Cobar’s Goal Attack, Zoë Harland (who was having blister trouble), stayed on the court as she was in her best shooting form of the season.
Harland, and the team’s star shooter, Lane Poland, were near invincible on Saturday with none of their shots going astray of the ring.
Cobar’s centre court was also well served by Players’ Player Lisa Spinks who ran circles around her Hillston opposition along with Karleen Duell at Centre and Sarah Irvine in Wing Defence, who both stepped up from B Grade to fill vacant positions in the A side.
All played outstanding games in the centre court.
Coach Gerard Francisco said he could not have asked anymore from the side which had followed his game plan to the letter.
The A Graders will have a week off this week but will be on the sidelines this Saturday to support the B Grade team when they take on Barellan in the major semi final match to be played at Tullibigeal. The winner of this match will progress straight to the grand final.
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