As the ORA Winter Netball League entered its third week, strong contenders in all divisions are beginning to emerge after another exciting round on the courts at Oakfield.

Division 1 veterans, Convent A, were quick out of the blocks to settle against St Clement A this week. A new forward attacking line up for Convent saw young Florence Kelly (Player of the Match) fitting in seamlessly to link with her experienced shooters, Emily Green and Aimee Bourke. Emily was in fine form and with the creative movement of Aimee, the duo sharing the shooting load. Layla dos Santos and Jodie Blampied were working as a solid team across the court, closing down space and using speed and accuracy to drive the ball through the court. Defensive combinations were changed, Lauren Devine and Amelia Coutanche remained in control of their circle, confusing the space which resulted in turnover ball, rebounds and good distribution to change from defence to attack. St Clement’s Player of the Match, Cerys O’Connell(GD) never gave an inch and pressured the pass to her shooter at every opportunity. Convent took the win 73-21.

Also in Division 1, St Lawrence A had the upper hand in theirgame, even though the youngsters from Convent B never gave up and showed their promise throughout the four quarters. Lexi Edward (Player of the Match), whether partnered with Bethannie Wood or Millie Pratt, was always in the thick of the action and together as a defence unit turned over ball. The shooting trio of Paloma Farina Richings, Isla Cronin and Leah Cannard worked hard to find spaces from the dominant St Lawrence defence and had good patches of play to convert their shots. Alex Perry, Isla Rafferty, Scarlett Le Fustec used the circle edge well to support their shooters, while Kiah Kuppe was instrumental in denying her opponent time on the ball and used her ability to read the game to create interceptions. Many lessons were taken on board to move forward, with a dominant performance from St Lawrence ending on a 58-27 win.

In Division 2, St Ouen A put out a strong performance against St Lawrence C. St Ouen had their work cut out with St Lawrence’s accurate shooters, however the defensive efforts from Lauren Byrne (GK), Sarah Ramasawmy (GD) and Emma Le Main (WD) produced interceptions and turnovers. Bolstered by Player of the Match, Julie Gould (WA/C), Jasmine Le Lievre (GA), Jess Garner (GA) and Katie De La Cour (GS) were a formidable team under the post, allowing St Ouen to maintain the lead in every quarter despite the consistent strength of their opponents. The teams were evenly matched, but it was the confidence and solidity of St Ouen which gave them a 48-26 win on the night. 

In Division 3, St Brelade B took on a fantastic St Lawrence D, with both teams bringing great energy and determination. It was a close first quarter, but St Brelade found their rhythm and pulled away, securing a 15 – 41 win. The whole team played their part, with Players of the Match Lolly Waters and Skye Clifford, and Brody Morris combining beautifully across GS and GA, while Skye also made an impact at WA. MaiaPaton showed her versatility between WA and WD, with Libby Barnett controlling the centre and Leigh working hard at WD. At the back, Ashleigh Taylor and Talia Morris put in a fantastic defensive performance at GK and GD. The mid-court and circle defence applied huge pressure, producing tips, intercepts and loose balls, while the attacking end showed excellent movement and shooting to take the ball to goal. 

St Ouen B went head-to-head against a very talented U14 Jets side, who were fresh off a successful weekend competing in the UK. The game started strong for both sides, with the ball moving swiftly to each end. St Ouen B found a good rhythm early on, with Michala Graham (WA), Player of the Match, Lianne Laignel (C) and Sarah Attwood (GA) linking well to slot the ball into Zoë Barrett-Banks (GS) under the post. U14s piled on the pressure to stop to the flow of goals, as Player of the Match, Hannah Munro (GK/GD) confused space and challenged her attackers. Despite a depleted side for St Ouen B, they held strong for the first half, with huge efforts in defence from Mary Surcouf (GD) and Kellie Roberts (WD), but the impact of U14s’ discipline began to show in the third quarter as they pulled away. Pressure across the court, coupled with accurate shooting from their attackers, allowed U14s to maintain their lead to finish on a 44-35 win.

Also in Division 3, St Brelade C had a really close match-up against St Clement C, with both teams showing fantastic defensive pressure, resulting in a low-scoring game that didn’t reflect the level of play. Lou Crossley was named Player of the Match after an excellent attacking performance, driving into the circle, creating space and keeping options open for Isla Riley, who was strong under the post. The pair are really starting to build a great combination. Suzhanie Van De Merwe and Sabrina Van Rooyen were fantastic in defence, with great communication and pressure. Leigh Keens provided strong defensive pressure through mid-court and was a great link throughout. Abbie Wright and Helen Stansfield worked hard through WA/WD, while Sophia O’Sullivan and Sammy Kean linked strongly through centre. St Clement took a marginal win at 18-13.

In Division 4, Convent D started well out of the blocks and produced some great connections down the court and feeding well into the shooters led first quarter 8-2. The rest of the quarters remained quite even with Convent not managing so convert all the great interceptions down court. St Ouen C tested out a number of combinations, and found their flow in the final quarter, with Player of the Match, Kerry Roche (C), Hayley Gibaut (WD) and Emily Le Gallais (WA) linking well to find Harriet St Pier (GA) and Kim Richings (GS) under the post. However, Convent had given themselves a comfortable lead earlier in the game, ending on a 30-20 win. Convent’s Player of the Match was Fran Gaskell. 

Meanwhile, St Ouen Mavericks faced a challenge in their second game in the Senior League, as St Saviour C delivered a commanding performance to secure a 51–22 victory. From the first whistle, St Saviour showed intent, applying strong defensive pressure that generated multiple interceptions and smooth transitions into attack. Their shooting circle was in excellent form, with Tiffany Shales and Player of the Match Helen Bourke converting consistently and keeping the scoreboard ticking. In mid‑court, Ruth Sheehan provided outstanding leadership, controlling the game as Centre for the full match and ensuring steady, structured play through all four quarters. St Ouen Mavericks found rhythm toward the end and produced some lovely passages of play, with fantastic efforts from their Player of the Match Scarlett Murphy, but St Saviour’s experience and cohesion ultimately proved too strong for the young Mavericks side.