Nagambie suffered its first loss of the Kyabram District League A-grade netball season at the weekend, falling to Shepparton East 53-31 in a top-of-the-table clash at Nagambie Recreation Reserve.
After battling it out in a fierce opening three quarters, Shepparton East separated itself from the Lakers in a brutal final term to blow the margin out past 20 goals.
This came after the Lakers lost key contributor Bree D’Andrea to a knee injury early in the first quarter, resulting in a major positional re-shuffle for the remainder of the contest.
The result leaves Nagambie in outright second on the ladder, but coach Katie Sullivan said the final score wasn’t a true indication of how the game played out.
“We’d be lying if we said we weren’t disappointed with the end scoreline and how it blew it out at the end,” Sullivan said.
“But I thought for most of the game it was a really even contest. I was really pleased with the defensive pressure we showed in the first half and we had plenty of opportunities and turnovers.
“Unfortunately in the end we just couldn’t capitalise in attack, which is where the difference in the game was.”
In a game the Lakers had pencilled in the calendar from the start of the season, Sullivan said the intensity was high, putting her team in good stead come finals time.
“Although still being only a home-and-away game, you could still feel the pace of the game went up a fair bit,” she said.
“Similar to when you play a Tally or a Dookie, it is a fierce battle which is something we embrace and I feel will prepare us well for the finals.”
When it came to standouts, Sullivan said it was the Lakers’ defence that stood tall on the day, with some inexperienced girls playing pivotal roles.
“Defensively I thought our group was very solid. Ebony Peters came on at half-time and had a beautiful last half. Alicia White was involved in lots of early turnovers, which was great,” she said.
“In a match like a final and if we had a full-strength attack end, I feel like we would have been able to capitalise more on those opportunities our defence gave us.”
Nagambie will have one more crack at the Eagles before the finals, as it travels to Central Park in the last round of the home-and-away season.
Elsewhere, Avenel continued its charges towards the finals with a 47-25 win over Stanhope on Sunday.
The result consolidates the Swans’ position in eighth spot.
Around the courts, Dookie United clinched a resounding 72-34 win over Longwood on Saturday.
Merrigum survived a serious Murchison-Toolamba scare, overcoming the Hoppers by the slimmest of margins in a thrilling one-point win.
Tallygaroopna was too good for Violet Town, chalking up a 47-25 victory.
Lancaster overcame Undera 52-38, while Girgarre produced a dominant 58-32 win over Rushworth to complete round 13 action.