Sport
24 April, 2023
Lexton offence clicks in second half
LEXTON (68) def NEWSTEAD (44) Lexton were able to defeat Newstead by 24 goals in a game that was much tougher than the scoreboard suggested. It took until the second half for the game to be controlled, but when the Tigers were able to do so, they...
LEXTON (68) def NEWSTEAD (44)
Lexton were able to defeat Newstead by 24 goals in a game that was much tougher than the scoreboard suggested.
It took until the second half for the game to be controlled, but when the Tigers were able to do so, they were a potent offensive threat, scoring 43 second-half goals.
Newstead led narrowly at the first break, scoring 12 goals to 11 as the goal circle combination of Bri Jury and Verity Gartside were working well.
Lexton made some changes in the second quarter, moving Leesa Donhardt to wing attack for Linley Eastick, who moved into goal attack, and it started to pay dividends, with the Tigers scoring 14 goals to seven to take the lead at the main break, leading 25-19.
The third quarter saw the Tigers make their move, scoring 22 goals while holding the Kangaroos to 11, which saw them take a commanding 17-goal lead at the final change.
A further 21 goals to 14 in the last quarter ensured that Lexton would start the season 2-0, having negotiated two finalists from last season as they look to move into the top four.
Rachel Phelan dominated under the ring, scoring 48 goals, while Donhardt scored 14.
For Newstead, Gartside was a good target, using her reach to advantage, scoring 29 goals and missing just six for the day, while Jury scored 15 goals of her own.
Lexton coach Shenae Haintz was relieved to finally get to see what her charges could do in dry weather as she assessed the potency of her offensive unit.
“It was great to play in the dry after a lot of wet weather last week — our accuracy wasn’t the best as a result. It wasn’t just one shooter as well, we had all our shooters contribute,” she said.
“We were able to move Leesa Donhardt out to wing attack as we have more shooting depth as well during the day, because her feed to Rachel Phelan is great. Being able to put Linley Eastick in the circle as well works well for the team as well, so it’s great to have options.”
Haintz was understanding that while a 2-0 start is a good place to be, the level of competition will continue to pick up, with tough tests against Avoca and Natte Bealiba following immediately after.
“We’re always pushing to get to these kinds of positions we found ourselves in last year, especially since we got to the grand final, which we want to finish off this year this time around. Starting 2-0 is great, and we have two hard teams in Avoca and Natte coming up, so we’d love to get a good result there,” she said.
“For me, it’s my first time in the league. Each team could be different from last year, so I’m just looking for us to play our game and keeping our focus on what we’ve been doing, and it’s worked throughout the last two weeks.”
Haintz said the focus throughout preseason has been ball movement, particularly in transition from defence, and she was pleased with how they executed her plan throughout the day.
“The transition from defence to attack was outstanding. The flow and the girls knowing where they will be, so they can turn and deliver the ball was good, and that’s what we’ve been working on,” she said.