PDL | Picola United secures upset win, Tungamah puts pressure on

By Daniel Webb

Jun 19, 2022

Tough day out: Mathoura and goal attack Mikalah Hard fell to Tungamah on Saturday. Photo by Steve Huntley

With five rounds to go, things have started to heat up in Picola District Netball League.

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Currently, three teams sit equal on 36 points at the top of the ladder, while four points separate fourth-placed Katamatite from ninth-placed Tocumwal.

This is sure to make for interesting viewing as the season draws closer to an end and Picola United’s result on Saturday went some way to blowing the league wide open.

United’s big, 48-32 win over Waaia at Waaia changed the face of the table, with the Bombers losing their chance of a four-point buffer and United joining the race for the top six.

It was an impressive win for the visiting side, with the Blues performing well from start to finish to take out the game.

Picola United co-coach Rachel Morrison said it was exciting to get the win.

“We were eighth going into this round and playing the undefeated side, so we knew it was going to be really tough, but we believed that we could get the win and we worked hard as a team to ensure we did,” Morrison said.

“We came out strong from the start and kept our lead from the get-go right until the end, so that was great.”

Morrison said it was an excellent team performance, with transitions out of defensive turnovers seamless and opportunities taken well in the attacking end.

She said it was quite hard to choose best players, with Jessica Beaton named best-on for her defensive pressure, while Alyx Glanville played well in the midcourt.

“Next week will be the first time that we will have had our full side in since round seven, we’ve had quite a few games with players away due to illness and injury,” Morrison said.

“The last few weeks we’ve been juggling different combinations as well as having girls come up from B-grade to step in for roles, so we are looking forward to finally having our full side back in.”

The win was an important one for United’s season, with the result lifting the Blues into seventh spot on the table, while Waaia now sits level on points with Tungamah and Strathmerton.

At Tungamah, the Bears continued their charge for the flag, downing Mathoura by 31 goals, while Blighty got the job done against Deniliquin Rovers at home.

Elsewhere, Tocumwal managed a hard-fought 15-goal win over Rennie and Katunga beat Katandra by 13.

Strathmerton, Jerilderie and Katamatite had a week off.