No separating Manukura Red and COG

The Manukura Red schoolgirls produced a late surge to pinch a draw against College Old Girls in the first week of the second round of the club netball competition.

Manukura had looked like they were gone, down by seven with a quarter to go at the Arena on Tuesday night, but cut out the mistakes in the last quarter to level the game and come close to winning the match.

It was even for most of the game and College were leading 47-40 with a stanza to go.

COG’S shooters Manta Maxwell and Joyce Ohlson were on form and getting a good supply of ball from wing attack Catherine Cornelius, who also threw great long bombs into the circle.

Meanwhile, things weren’t as smooth for Manukura’s attack, with a few missed shots, lost possession and stepping calls.

But when it looked like College had made the game safe, Manukura started to come back by forcing turnovers and scoring from them.

Manukura shooter Rochelle Fourie had been wobbly for some of the game, but in the final few minutes she calmly nailed three important goals to erase their two-point deficit and briefly give them a 57-56 lead before COG tied it up at the death.

Fourie was busy under the hoop, shooting 45 from 61.

The umpires spoke to both captains at one point for repeated infringements.

overcame a courageous

Feilding A1 Rahui

47-41. Rahui had been scrambling to get a team together before the game because players were away at a funeral.

To make matters worse they lost sisters Kylie Gardner and Bonnie Matehaere in the second quarter with injuries.

That forced coach Oriwia Raureti and Erena Cooper, who hasn’t played this season because she gave birth not long ago, to don the bib and play.

Gardner came back on with a strapped knee, but wasn’t the same.

Despite the interruptions they hung in against for most of the game and just after halftime they scored five goals in a row, looking like they would pull away.

But Feilding went on their own run and looked good after that for the most part. Things were firing at their shooting end through Maila Muliaga, Kesa Talka and Anania Kerehoma-cook.

There was a lot of scrappy play and turnovers at times, and Rahui struggled to score in the fourth quarter, scoring only six

goals and most of them came at the end.

Jessica Brett had a good game for Feilding at goal keep, grabbing a lot of rebounds and a few intercepts.

Talka also slotted a late goal with seconds remaining to deny Rahui a bonus point for finishing within five goals, which could be crucial later in the season.

punished a belowstrength 73-35.

Feilding were missing a few players, but did put up a fight in the early stages against the top-of-the-table Manukura side.

But Manukura, who only used seven players themselves, were up by 11 after the first quarter, led 35-18 at halftime and kept dominating through the second half.

Prolific Manukura shooter Emily Autagavaia had another big night, scoring 60 goals from 66 attempts. Few would have expected

to lead

Manukura Black Feilding A2 North Girls’ High School Palmerston Massey

at all.

Massey went on to win the game 60-39, but only after making a slow start against the schoolgirls.

Girls’ High held a one-point lead through most of the first quarter, leading 14-13 at the first break and were leading at the start of second quarter. That was until Massey got into gear, nearly doubling the schoolgirls’ score to take a lead 29-23 at halftime.

Girls’ High couldn’t keep up in the second half, which Massey won 31-16.