WPL: Warners Bay move three points clear
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A 10-man Warners Bay seized the outright lead in Herald Women's Premier League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over previously unbeaten Merewether at John Street Oval on Sunday.
The two sides were on equal footing going into the match but Warners Bay moved to 30 points, three clear of United, as the competition enters the second half of the season.
The hosts took the ascendancy in the much-anticipated battle around the 10-minute mark when Sass Seaborn buried a rebound from Cassidy Davis's shot.
Merewether looked set to equalise off a Jamee Ellis corner with 10 minutes left in the first half but Warners Bay defender Corinne Krupa swatted the ball out of the goalmouth with her hand, earning a red card.
W-League player Grace Macintyre stepped up for the ensuing penalty but put the spot kick wide of the goals.
Both sides had chances to score in the second half but neither could convert in a fast-paced, see-sawing encounter.
Merewether coach Cassie Koppen described it as a sub-par performance and one that could come back to haunt them in the race for the minor premiership.
“We've made things very difficult for ourselves now, a win today would've made the rest of the season a lot more comfortable,” Koppen said.
Wallsend came from 2-0 down at half-time to draw two-all with Mid North Coast in Taree on Sunday and South Wallsend beat Thornton 2-0 on Saturday.
Basketball: Hunters go down at The Brickpit
Newcastle Hunters paid for a slow start and sloppy finishing in an 88-78 loss to unbeaten Waratah Basketball League women’s championship leaders Hornsby Spiders at The Brickpit on Saturday.
The defending champions dropped their fourth game from their past five to slip to seventh with a 3-6 win-loss record but coach Mark Gledson said the Hunters were still focused on reaching the finals.
Hornsby opened up a 50-34 lead by half-time and Newcastle could not reel them in the second half despite out-scoring the Spiders in the third and fourth quarters.
“We took the same number of shots as them but they made 44 per cent to our 38 per cent,” Gledson said.
“We were rushing our shots and not allowing the ball to get through hands, but when we moved the ball, our shots came easier.”
Gledson was particularly disappointed with Newcastle’s conversion rate inside the key.
“We converted only 20 of 42. We did all the hard work to get inside the paint but were not rewarding ourselves in making baskets,” he said.
“We were out-rebounded 55 to 43, which demonstrates a lack of desire to block out on our individual assignments and going after the ball.”
Suzy Batkovic played all 40 minutes for Newcastle and tallied a game-high 31 points and 14 rebounds. She was supported by Cherub Lum (15 points, three rebounds, three steals), Cassidy McLean (11 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals) and Alison Ebzery (seven points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals).
Alicia Poto led the Spiders with a 17-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple double.
BDAFL: Bulldogs can’t buy a goal
Warners Bay coach Tracy Baker lamented poor goalkicking as the Bulldogs’ winning streak came to an end in a 3.0 (18) to 0.9 (9) loss to Killarney Vale at Feighan Oval on Saturday.
The Bulldogs sustained a heavy loss to defending champions Nelson Bay in round one but won their next five matches before succumbing to Killarney Vale in a tight tussle on the weekend.
“We knew it was going to be close, just looking at the stats leading into the game, and it was evenly matched,” Baker said.
“But we kicked seven behinds and just couldn’t get it through the two sticks, which showed on the scoreboard.”
Warners Bay ruck Di Crep was brilliant on the ball, supported by Hannah Gow, Kate Booth, Caitlin Wolfe, diminutive back flanker Arlyn Jose Mills and tough-tackling Kahlia Rocco.
Lake Macquarie recorded their first victory of the season in a convincing 69-point victory over the Newcastle Novas.
Lake Macquarie won 11.16 (82) to 2.1 (13).
Meaghan MacDonald and Ashlee Hayllar ran rampant for Newcastle City, kicking eight and six goals respectively, as the Blues won 27.17 (179) to 0.1 (1) over Cardiff.
Wyong Lakes defeated Singleton 5.5 (35) to 1.5 (11), Gosford beat Muswellbrook 31.24 (210) to 0.0 (0), and the Marlins were way too good for Maitland, winning 16.11 (107) to 1.0 (6).
Leaguetag: Souths-Wests split points
South Newcastle set up a blockbusting encounter with Central next round when they moved to within one points of their round-seven counterparts with a 12-12 draw against West Newcastle at Townson Oval on Sunday.
Central, who play their round-six match against Macquarie on June 10, sit atop the Newcastle Rugby League Ladies Leaguetag lead with 10 points and Souths moved to nine points after Sunday’s result.
Wests moved to seven points with the draw while Lakes United leap-frogged the Rosellas, moving to eight points and taking third place with their 22-4 win over Kurri Kurri at Cahill Oval on Sunday.
Maitland defeated Cessnock 30-4 at Coronation Oval on Saturday.
Netball: Wests juggernaut rolls on
Souths Lions head into a rematch with unbeaten Greater Open Championship leaders West Leagues Balance after a 56-37 win over Maryville Tavern as the competition reached the midpoint on Saturday.
Forsythes Business Advisors edged out Souths Pride, 33-32, in a tight battle, BNC Whanau downed Nova Thunder 51-44, and West defeated Junction Stella 68-17.
Rugby: Greens, Uni get up
Merewether Carlton steamrolled Maitland, who played short for most of the match, 92-0.
Maryann Utai (three), Maddison Ingram (three), Viana Bainivalu (four) and Alicia Martin (two) all scored multiple tries.Tammy Clay and Brittany Craft also crossed for tries and Danielle Freund successfully kicked 11 of 14 conversion attempts for 22 individual points.
University downed Wanderers 52-12.