NORTH OTAGO
- Terry O'Neill
Athletic Maroon was too strong for a depleted St Kevin's A side in premier grade netball at the weekend, racing away to a 30-15 win after leading 16-6 at halftime. Athletic played a fine team game with solid performances through court. Petra Aspros and Lucy Adams featured at each end of the court, guiding Athletic Maroon to a 15-point win. St Kevin's was hit by injuries before the game and had to make several positional changes.
• Eastern A produced a full 40-minute performance, showing awareness of space especially through midcourt and around the shooting circle where its feeding to the shooters was superb.
Goal attack Sarah Williams had a solid game while St Kevin's B received limited ball and, plagued with injuries, was forced to make several late changes. Eastern A won the game 19-12.
• Excelsior missed key players on Saturday at each end of the court and would be disappointed with its performance against Kurow and showed little cohesion under pressure.
Kurow had its best game of the year, leading 20-8 at halftime. Janelle Casey moved into the circle on Saturday to team up with Rebecca McIntyre in the second quarter and the pair combined well. Excelsior made defensive changes, bringing in Casey Stringer and moving Ali Mitchell back to GK to try to shut down Kurow in the circle before Kurow ran out 39-16 winners.
Football
A brace of goals to Matt Howard and Andy Lane gave Meadowbank United a 4-1 win over Timaru Boys' High School A in South Canterbury league football on Saturday. Meadowbank led 2-1 at halftime with Michael Hogan netting for Timaru Boys'.
• Meadowbank Reserves drew with Pleasant Point in a second division game after the score had been tied 1-1 at halftime.
Carl Burke scored Meadowbank's first-half goal, with Richie Moore replying for Pleasant Point. Tony Moore put Meadowbank in front before Richie Moore scored his second to level the score.
• St Kevin's College continued its good run of form with a 3-2 win over Mountainview High School after being held to 1-1 at halftime with a Jaime Viral goal for St Kevin's. Michael Hannigan and Taz Forgie added second-half goals for the College side.
Hockey
Tainui beat Timaru Boys' High School First X1 4-1 on Saturday to make the final of the bottom four section next week in Timaru. Ryan McKay and Lance Sheehy scored two goals each for Tainui.
In local hockey, Pirata Black produced a minor upset beating Pirata Blue 2-1 on Saturday, with Lyn Rowland and Aaron Rushton scoring for the winners.
• In a high-scoring game, Waitaki Boys' Second X1 beat Shamrocks 6-5, with Charlie Bower scoring twice for the winners and Andrea Naylor and DebbieBeardsley repeating the dose for Shamrocks.
• St Kevin's Mixed beat Waitaki Girls' Second X1 6-3 with Mitchell Bolstridge again in outstanding form, scoring five goals for the college side while Brianna McIntosh got all three goals for Waitaki Girls'.
• In games played late in the week, Pirata Black caused an upset when it beat St Kevin's College Girls First XI 4-2, with Lyn Rowland (2), Aaron Rushton and Carla Needham scoring for Pirata.
The North Otago under-13 boys' side beat its girls' equivalent 3-1, with Jonty Naylor, Andrew Searle and Isaac Thompson scoring for the winners.
CENTRAL OTAGO
- Rhys Chamberlain
Molyneux A and Dunstan High School A will contest the final of the Central Otago netball competition after both sides had decisive wins in Alexandra on Saturday.
Molyneux A, once again unbeaten in round-robin play, took on the other school team in the competition, Cromwell College A, and clocked up a convincing 34-14 win.
It was the second and third quarters of the match that decided Cromwell's fate as it could only manage two goals leading into halftime and then four goals in the third.
At 8-3 at halftime, the pupils would have given themselves a real chance but Molyneux A's experience and defence proved the difference.
• Dunstan High School A had an equally fine match as it dispatched Roxburgh Kilties 27-17 in the second semifinal. The match was a much tighter affair than its predecessor with just a three-goal lead to the pupils' at quarter time and a six-goal lead at halftime.
However, the Roxburgh side could not hold on and the superior quickness of the pupils was telling in the final quarter of the match.
The finals' day will be held on August 27.
Hockey
Cromwell and Queenstown continued their domination in round 9 of the Central Otago men's hockey competition. Cromwell capped off a fine match with 7-2 thumping of Cavaliers while Queenstown got the better of under-18 Boys 7-4.