With the top eight still hotly contended in the Central Highlands Netball League, Creswick coach Karinna Knowles was pleased to see her A-grade players pull off what they had been working on in training on game day.
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The Wickers faced a challenging Hepburn side at home on Saturday afternoon with both teams vying for eighth position on the ladder.
“We started off really strong, we had the first five goals before they got their first one, which was really good for us,” Knowles said.
“And we played very consistent for the four quarters, which is something we haven’t done previously.”
In training, the team has focused on its forward drive and defensive pressure. The players were pleased to come away with reward for effort with a 10-goal victory.
“They were absolutely stoked,” Knowles said. “They were really focused and pretty pumped up before the game, they knew what they had to go out and do and to do it for the duration of the whole game was great.”
Parts of the game to stand out for the Wickers coach included defensive pressure and accurate shooting with goaler Shannon Palmer deemed best on court.
“Her accuracy from mid to long range was spot on and she was against a really tough opponent in Tara Ford,” Knowles said.
“It was hard for her in there but she stood up and did what she had to do.”
Knowles was also impressed by the efforts from defensive duo Kate Bibby and Samantha Whelan.
“They pulled off intercepts and were consistent throughout the game,” she said.
“And that’s what we wanted, that if you get turnovers, you’re actually converting them into goals.”
The much-needed victory will be a confidence boost for Creswick, which heads into the final rounds of the season on the hunt for more wins to secure a finals berth.
Meanwhile, Ballan has continued a three-game winning streak, getting the points over the winless Smythesdale on the road.
Beaufort came away with victory in a one-goal thriller over Carngham-Linton in a tightly contested game.
Bungaree outclassed Daylesford, 12-88, while Learmonth’s undefeated run continued with a win over fourth-placed Buninyong.
Dunnstown was too strong for Clunes with a 28-goal triumph, while Gordon defeated Newlyn, 28-34.
Rokewood-Corindhap challenged the third-placed Springbank as the Hoppers fight to remain in the finals race, going down by 10 goals.
Waubra remains in top four contention with a convincing 59-16 win over Skipton, and will face only one team in the top eight in the final rounds of the season.
