ORA Winter League 26/27 Week 2

The ORA Winter Netball League continued into the second week, with all teams now on the leaderboard after round 2 of the competition.

In Division 1, St Saviour A started strong against a tough Accies A side, keeping the score even for the opening five minutes and briefly taking the lead. Accies responded by stepping up a gear, with relentless defence making it difficult for the St Saviour’s shooters to find scoring opportunities.Accies took the first quarter, but St Saviour’s battled hard to keep the game close, with just seven goals separating the teams at half-time. St Saviour’s defence, namely Player of the Match Olivia Montez Brown (GD), worked tirelessly too, but Accies’ shooting accuracy was impressive and the feeds from their Player of the Match, Autumn Carro, were confident and determined. Despite tactical changes from St Saviour’s in the 3rd quarter, including shorter passing and switching positions, Accies extended their lead. Final score 56–31 to Accies A.

Also in the top division, an intense match-up between Convent B and Accies B started the game with a great intensity and end-to-end play. Convent began to work around their tall Accies defenders, with a tactical switch of Paloma Farina Richings and Isla Cronin proving to be a great move,with Isla using her court craft to keep the defenders busy and Paloma finishing off the moves with accurate shooting. At the other end, Convent’s defensive unit was in full flow, Kiah Kuppe, Lexi Edward and Bethannie Wood used clever set ups to intercept ball to give Convent a half-time lead of 21-13. The third quarter showed Convent at its best, only allowing Accies 2 goals and scoring 15 of their own. It was a dominant effort all through the court. Isla Rafferty, Florence Kelly and Scarlett Le Fustec displayed great movement to bring the ball up court and insight to feed the moving circle. The defensive efforts were well rewarded with precise shooting. The final quarter was a more even contest once again. Alex Perry and Leah Cannard timing and delivery of movement and pass kept the Accies defence on their toes. Convent continued to push through until the final whistle to take a 47 – 21 win.

In Division 2, Accies D took on St Saviour B in a competitive fixture, with St Saviour eventually taking the win 48–39. Accies made a strong start, edging the opening quarter 13–12. St Saviour responded in the second quarter, with shooting from Player of the Match Kudzai Muchekeza (GS) taking control of the scoreboard with a 15–9 quarter to lead 27–22 at half-time. Accies continued to compete strongly after the break, with the third quarter finishing 12–10 to St Saviour, who therefore carried a 39–32 advantage into the final quarter. Accies continued to battle through the final 15 minutes, but St Saviour maintained their lead and finished the match 48–39.Despite the final result, Accies showed plenty of fight throughout the game and continued to work hard right through to the final whistle. Zoe Morales took the Player of the Match accolade for Accies.

Meanwhile, a tightly contested match between Convent C and St Ouen A saw both sides taking the lead at points in the game. The score stayed within 5 for the entirety, with Convent using their speed and accuracy to fight against a tall, formidable St Ouen defence, including Player of the Match Jess Southern (GD/WD). St Ouen’s talented shooters proved to be a problem for the Convent side, netting goals and standing strong under the post despite the efforts of Convent’s Player of the Match, Milli Renouf (GD/WD). It was all to play for until the final whistle, with Convent snatching a 51-47 win after a flurry of goals in the dying seconds.

In Division 3, St Brelade B continued a strong start to their season against St Clement C. St Clement C got things underway with an early centre turnover, but St Brelade B found their rhythm to lead 5–14 at the end of the first quarter. St Clement C battled hard throughout, showing great spirit and determination, with Player of the Match Cara Williams (GD) working hard to stem an unstoppable duo of St Brelade’s Brody Morris and Lolly Waters in the shooting circle, sinking some impressive long-range shots. St Brelade’smidcourt of Poppy Roche, Maia Paton and Sammy Kean worked tirelessly with brilliant intercepts and link-up play. At the other end, Talia Morris, Fran Gillat and Player of the Match Ashleigh Taylor (GK) formed a fantastic defensive unit, keeping the post safe to allow St Brelade to forge ahead on the scoreboard.

Elsewhere, an exciting game between St Brelade C and St Ouen B saw the latter take an early lead thanks to strong connections across the court. However, St Brelade C improved each quarter, taking two goals off St Ouen’s score each time. The defence applied great pressure, with SuzhanieVan De Merwe, Sabrina Van Rooyen and Player of the Match Leigh Keens producing turnovers. St Ouen were able to hold strong and continue netting goals, thanks to the teamwork of Zoë Barrett-Banks, Mel Noon and Sarah Attwood under the post. Sarah Carolin provided a strong link through C, while Abbie Wright and Helen Stansfield worked hard in defence. Sophia O’Sullivan and Sammy Kean provided movement through WA and C, with Louise Crossley and Isla Riley were a strong team in the shooting circle, despite the strength of their St Ouen counterparts who provided turnovers that their team could capitalise on. St Ouen’s Player of the Match, Ash Dowling, returned in style to her first game of the season, creating space, forcing errors and finding the shooters with strong passes over the tall defenders. Although a well-deserved 33-19 win for St Ouen B, it was a fantastic game for both sides, with St Brelade showing great teamwork, defensive pressure and energy throughout to take lots of learning and positives into the next fixture.

In Division 4, St Saviour C showed growing cohesion and smart use of fresh legs in a competitive match against Accies E. Accie E youngsters started in style clinching the first quarter 12-7 with fabulous shooting from Claudia Rumens and Daisy Fisher. St Saviour fought back to win the second and close the gap to three goals, with Player of the Match Kayla Waddell (GA) impressing under the post. Accies rebuilt momentum in the third, but St Saviour kept the pressure on right to the final whistle, finishing 36–32. Despite the loss, the team produced strong defensive passages and improving connections across the court. Accies ever-improving Eva Cranmer gained her side’s Player of the Match.

Ending the week of matches, it was a tightly fought match throughout for St Ouen C and St Lawrence D, with both teams fighting to pull ahead at various times. Defence was fast paced, with St Ouen’s Hayley Gibault playing an outstanding match alongside Kerry Roche, who was awarded Player of the Match. New St Ouen shooter Kim Richings played a brilliant game alongside Harriet St Pier and Lyn Parris, managing to pull it back to a 24-all draw from a 20-24 loss with just 3 minutes left on the clock. St Ouen are gradually getting their bearings as a new team (with some players new to the league entirely) and gaining in confidence every game.