FOOTBALL
DARTMOOR will be searching for revenge when it travels to Cavendish this afternoon.
The Giants will be hoping to reverse their South West District Football Netball League round one defeat at the hands of the Bloods.
Cavendish caught the Giants with an understrength team earlier in the season, recording a five-point victory, despite having five more shots at goal than their hosts.
The Giants were without several of their regular senior team players due to illness and a wedding, but they are expected to be back to near full strength for this return encounter.
Cavendish coach, Clinton Thomas said he expected another tough test from last year’s minor premiers.
“The Dartmoor team taking the field this weekend will be a very different team to what we faced in round one, as they had a heap unavailable for that initial clash,” he said.
“In many ways, we feel that this is going to be our first real look at them for the season.”
In recent years Dartmoor has consistently shown the ability to put a decent herd on the paddock, with strength in the midfield, So what happens in the middle will play a big part on the outcome.”
The Bloods haven’t been able to select a full-strength team for several weeks due to injuries and illness, but Thomas was hopeful of getting close to his best side assembled for the match.
“This week against Dartmoor we've got a couple of boys that are getting closer to making a return, but we won't know for sure whether they'll be ready to go this week until we see how they pull up after training on,” he said.
A loss in this match will see Cavendish fall behind Dartmoor by eight points on the ladder, whereas a win will have the sides tied on the ladder with percentage the only separating factor.
With Justin Eales expected back on the park for the Giants, Dartmoor will look to their champion midfielder to help win the ball and drive the team forward, as Christian Howlett and Daniel Lynch look to continue their goal-kicking form.
Tyrendarra v Branxholme-Wallacedale
BRANXHOLME-WALLACEDALE travels to Tyrendarra still riding high after the Eddie Betts weekend that saw the club host a truly incredible day on Sunday.
Although the team failed to post a victory against Cavendish, the players have a memory which will live with them for the rest of their lives, but now the hard work begins as they seek to gain enough wins to play finals.
Regular full forward and Saints captain, Kieran Barker, will return to the goal square this week after moving further up the ground last weekend, and will no doubt be looking to return to the form which saw him post 10 goals in round six.
Tyrendarra has recorded wins against Heywood and Heathmere in its last two matches.
The form of goal-sneak, Jordi Withers, has been exceptional, bagging 14 goals from his last three games, and will need to be kept quiet if the Saints are to claim victory.
Coleraine v Westerns
WHEN the top-placed team plays the second-bottom placed side in any competition, there is an expectation of a mismatch about the game and that is the case today when Coleraine hosts Westerns at Silvester Oval.
The Maroons are flying high, not having lost a match to date, while the Roos have registered a single victory from their seven games.
Coleraine will no doubt also be looking for a huge percentage boost from this game, and for players like Will Slattery and Patrick Sinnott to add big bags of goals to their individual season tallies.
For Westerns, it is about gaining small victories in-game which will only add to their overall experience.
Heywood v Heathmere
HEYWOOD will host its closest neighbour today in a local derby, as Heathmere looks to gain revenge against the Lions for the round one loss.
With former Heathmere coach, Leon Davis, now coaching Heywood, there is just a little more spice in this contest as the visitors look to get one over the former mentor.
Heywood is sitting in fourth place on percentage and need the victory to stay in contact with the top three, while Heathmere is yet to breakthrough for a win this season.
The Meres were spanked by the Lions to the tune of 78 points back in the opening round but have improved over the season.
Heathmere coach, Adrian Hann said he was hoping to field his strongest side of the season today.
“At this stage there are no injuries with only small niggles with two solid inclusions to enter our side this week,” he said.
“I think we are a very young side and yet to learn how to stay composed for a full game/quarter, but I am extremely proud on how the guys conduct themselves for most of the game.
“I challenge the boys to celebrate the little things as well as focus on only the quarter ahead of us.
“Learn as much as we can and hopefully grow from that (and) I feel that we are most definitely improving each week, and that's what is most important to us as a team during this building year.”
NETBALL
DARTMOOR travels to Cavendish today for the return match-up between these two South West District Football Netball League powerhouse sides.
Both sides will be vastly different from those which took to the court back in round one, with neither team at full strength back when they last met.
Both clubs will have kept careful notice of the results since that first round and how each other has lined up since.
Giants coach, Elise Haw, noted the consistency Cavendish had each week.
“I have been watching Cavendish and have noticed that their team has changed since the first round,” she said.
“As we didn’t have our real side in round one, it’ll be interesting to see how we match up against them this weekend.
“Their game was fast and clean netball last time we met; we are looking forward to this match.”
Haw will have to ensure her back three defensive players (Chloe Finnigan, Bek Hamill and herself) are on song, as Carly Behncke and Luhrs have been in scintillating touch of late for the Bloods in goals, while Trish Hurley in the back court was devastating against an improved Branxholme-Wallacedale last round.
Tyrendarra v Branxholme-Wallacedale
TYRENDARRA will battle a vastly improved Branxholme-Wallacedale at home today than that which they encountered back in the first round when the Darras posted an incredible 105 goals to start their 2022 season.
The Darras were amazing that afternoon, as the score mounted, but many were surprised to see such a big tally at the end of the game,
The ladder leaders had the bye last weekend, meaning the players will go come into the match refreshed and ready for the next stage of the season.
The Saints battled hard all game and were outclassed by a team which had gone on to lose only the once since and are now atop the ladder having only been outplayed by a full-strength Dartmoor.
Much of the Darras success has come from how their coach, Rani Kane, managed to mould a group of players into a well-oiled unit that displays a precise, fast style of play across the court.
Branxholme-Wallacedale has improved under coach, Georgia Muldoon, as this young group of players are forming a unit which will be hoping to challenge for the premiership in a few years,
Saints centre, Alice Keatley, is at the heart of the resurgence and Muldoon is building the side around her with a group of youngsters gaining experience with each match they play together.
Coleraine v Westerns
SILVESTER Oval will see Coleraine host Westerns today in a match the visitors are favoured to take the points from.
The Maroons will be desperate to stage a form reversal and keep contact with the top five on the premiership ladder, adding an extra element to the contest.
A three-goal deficit at quarter time was the difference between Coleraine and Heywood last weekend, which eventually saw the Maroons fall by that margin, as they kept pace with the Lions for the rest of the game and these slow starts have occurred in their last two matches, which must be rectified if the team is to defeat the Roos, who are one of the favourites for the premiership.
Coleraine coach, Casey Pye, will be drumming into her charges all week that they must be on song from the first whistle and not switch on only after the opposition has posted several goals.
The Maroons have often been forced to play catch-up netball after conceding early leads, something they cannot do today if they want to remain in contention to claim victory.
Westerns coach, Vicki Clayton, has her team playing very well for such a young side, and the draw against Dartmoor last Saturday will be filed in the memory banks of the players as they move forward.
In what was an emotional, fast-paced encounter, the Roos and Giants swapped the lead several times before they settled on a shot-for-shot match where they couldn’t be separated at the final siren.
The Roos will be looking to play the same fast, precise style of game which has been the hallmark of their season, as they endeavour to bank the points from this match.
