Match Report: Team 1

Carine 01 has really found its feet as the season has progressed. After a slightly shaky start, the team has settled, found some consistency and worked its way into second place on the ladder.

This weekend saw us take on ladder leaders Hammersley in a top-of-the-table clash. The last time we met, Hammersley got the better of us by seven goals, so we knew we were in for a tough game.

And a tough game it was! It was neck and neck from the first whistle, with very little separating the teams at every break. The lead changed hands throughout the game and neither side was willing to give an inch.

Our defensive end was a real standout this week, with Carly Tracey, Lynda Pursey and Caitin Pijpers working incredibly hard all game. Carly in particular seemed to be absolutely everywhere, using some very clever body positioning and her usual fighting spirit to pick up intercept after intercept. The defensive pressure didn’t stop there either, with our midcourt making Hammersley work hard for every ball and forcing plenty of turnovers down the court.

Unfortunately, despite a huge team effort, we couldn’t quite get across the line. With scores level and less than 30 seconds to play, it really came down to who had possession at the right moment. Hammersley managed to score the winning goal with just 10 seconds left on the clock. Not exactly the relaxing finish we were hoping for!

While it was disappointing to miss out by the narrowest of margins, there was plenty to take away from the game. To go from a seven-goal loss in our last meeting to having the ladder leaders on the ropes until the final seconds shows just how far this team has come.

Hopefully we get another crack at them in the finals, we might have a little unfinished business!