COLERAINE has made a huge statement in round nine of the South West District Netball League defeating reigning A grade premiers and top flag contenders Dartmoor, 50-46.
The Maroons have been lifting throughout the season, with their connection on court translating to smooth passages in attack headed by goal shooter Amy Lewis.
A dominant fourth quarter was the key for Coleraine who were trailing for the first three quarters, heading into the final term with a five-goal deficit to make up.
A huge full-court defensive effort from the Maroons forced mistakes in Dartmoor’s attacking line-up, limiting the Giants to just seven goals in the final quarter while Coleraine slotted 16 of their own.
Maddison Kaine was once again a focal point for Coleraine, leading the charge in wing attack to create plenty of movement and deliver quality passing into Lewis, who posted 41 goals for the game.
Coleraine playing coach Casey Pye said it was a huge last quarter for her side who had dropped some close games previously.
“It was really good for the group to get a win like that, we’ve had some close games where we’ve just let ourselves down a bit so to come through like that in the last quarter was great,” she said.
“They showed so much composure and stayed really positive throughout the game, there was no point where we didn’t believe we could win.”
While the win doesn’t have direct implications for the ladder heading into the next round, it opens the door for some movement in the top five positions heading into the back half of the season.
“It felt good to get that win against a team like Dartmoor who have beaten the teams that have beaten us,” she said.
“It does give us confidence but you never know with the competition at the minute, you can’t get complacent because anyone can deliver on any given day.
“We’ve had a solid core group for about three years now so the connections on court are there it’s just about bringing it all together.”

Saints come close
Branxholme-Wallacedale came agonisingly close to their first win and a competition upset on Saturday, going down to Westerns by just one goal, 43-42.
The nail-biting performance was a demonstration of the Saints improvement across the first half of the season as they were able to execute better in attack and retain possession against a tough Westerns defensive unit.
The game ebbed and flowed with the scores level at half-time before Westerns edged ahead by one goal heading into the final term.
The Saints were aided by the inclusion of Grace Cleaver, a junior player for Hamilton Kangaroos’ Open side, who contributed for three quarters in Branxholme-Wallacedale’s defence.
It was also another strong performance from 14-year-old shooter Isabelle Tonissen who has been showing a lot of promise in the attacking end.
Despite some error from both sides the Roos were able to hold onto the lead and earn the one-goal win.
While it was a tough finish for the Saints who came close to their first win of the season, coach Rose Wombwell said it was a stellar performance and testament to the willingness to improve from her side.
“It was really great for the team to come that close, and it backs up what we’ve been working on at training and what we’ve been seeing in patches of play throughout the season,” she said.
“It clicked for us for more than just little patches on Saturday which was great reward for the girls.
“For us it has been about looking after the ball and players understanding their role out there.”
Alongside Tonissen, the experience of Amy Pepper and other key contributors helped the Saints to their strong performance.
“Isabelle is 14 and she’s a real talented player, coming up against someone like Toni (Rowe) who is a tough defender she really held her own – but it’s credit to Amy and Jade Millard who really bring the younger ones into the game.
“The team has been putting in a lot of effort and asking to train for longer and that is showing. They also really enjoy being with each other off the court and that makes a huge difference.”

Heathmere close out against Cavendish
A strong fourth quarter from Heathmere saw them get over a building Cavendish line-up, 60-52.
The Bloods have struggled to close out four quarters of netball so far this season which was again the story on Saturday with the Meres able to stay with Cavendish before putting their foot down in the second half.
Heathmere’s attack was again at its efficient best, dominating in the circle with quick passage of play down court being executed in the ring.
Cavendish worked to disrupt the Meres’ play but by the second half of the game, Heathmere had found their rhythm and pushed ahead.
Marni Luhrs was once again a focal point for the Bloods in attack and combined well with young shooter Neve McClure.
Tia Haines had one of her best performances for the season across the court, working hard to shut down Cavendish’s strong attacking play.

Darras down Heywood
Tyrendarra had an emphatic win against a depleted Heywood line-up on Saturday afternoon, 87-27.
With both sides missing some key contributors, Heywood had to readjust to make up for the absence of dominant contributor Tyleah Barr while the Darras were without consistent midcourter Kate Merrett.
Early in the game it went goal-for-goal with Mackenzie Barr using her speed in attack to combine with Rhi Davis in goals for Heywood.
The Darras edged out to a 13-goal lead at the first break before lifting into the second term.
Tyrendarra had a consistent outing, posting 20 goals in the first three quarters before slotting 24 in the final term to push the margin out.