Sport
29 May, 2024
Convincing win for Bombers
COBDEN pieced together an impressive performance on the courts over the weekend to down Portland.
Bombers coach Sophie Hinkley said despite missing talented players such as Em Finch and Matilda Darcy, the girls played “really well” to win 53 to 31.
“Portland are always a tough side, really physical and have a couple of great, talented players so the girls did really well to overcome the challenge they put up,” she said.
“We’ve been working on our defensive one-on-one work and our structures communicating together, which the girls executed really well and gave our attackers lots of ball to use.”
Best for the Bombers last Saturday were Lara Taylor, Alicia Blain and Nadine McNamara.
“Lara Taylor had another great game,” Hinkley said.
“She’s been really impressive for us at wing defence and goal defence all year.
“Alicia Blain has been the same playing centre and through some defensive roles she has been super consistent and really solid as a leader as one of our senior players, who shows her maturity at the start of a season.
“She’s been fantastic for us.”
Hinkley said heading in to a blockbuster clash with North Warrnambool this weekend, with both sides neck-and-neck on the ladder, was a challenge which she hoped the Bombers could rise to.
“They’re just above us on points at the moment so it would be really important to get a win,” she said.
“It’s the second last game of this first round, we’ll have almost played everyone, so this stretch will give us a really strong indication of what we need to work on in the back end of the season, and give us the best chance to match-up against everyone.
“Defensively we’re working on our work rate and maintaining our intensity across as many minutes as we can, and attacking wise we’ve got great versatility and lots of people to inject in that.
“We’re looking to be composed, controlled and make sure we’re making decisions which are thought through instead of being reactive – just being conscious of us being in control in attack.”
Netball results were as follows:
Division one: Portland lost to Cobden 40-45. Best players: Kate Smith, Ally Jeffery and Leah Dickson.
Division two: Portland defeated Cobden 28-27. Best players: Hannah Anderson, Eisha Howard and Morgan Nelson.
Division three: Portland lost to Cobden 15-29. Best players: Tayla Hickey, Kayla Hunter and Charlotte Bennett.
17 and under: Portland defeated Cobden 38-32. Best players: Nikki Clover, Sarah Bridges and Krystal Blain.
17 and under reserves: Cobden lost to Koroit 21-35. Best players: Esha Crole, Rebecca Foster and Sarah Bridges.
15 and under: Portland defeated Cobden 28-19. Best players: Lila Bennett, Sarah Bridges and Marley Howard.
15 and under reserves: Portland defeated Cobden 30-19.
13 and under: Portland lost to Cobden 15-33. Best Players: Lily Baxter, Maddison Fisher and Grace Hester.
13 and under reserves had the bye.