The Cobar Netball Association’s A Grade grand final on Saturday was a thriller with Pumpettes making history with their 35-28 win over minor premiers, JKM Dynamic Fitness.
It was the Pumpettes team’s first Cobar Netball Association premiership win with some of their original members having played together for the past five seasons.
After two grand final appearances, it was a very sweet victory for the Pumpettes on Saturday night.
It was JKM Dynamic Fitness who went into the game as match favourites having finished as minor premiers this season and they had also convincingly beaten the Pumpettes 46-34 only two weeks ago in their semi final.
Saturday’s match started with the two teams going goal for goal until the Pumpettes narrowly pulled away at the end of the first quarter to lead 9-5.
Pumpettes upped the ante in the second quarter with a turn over on the first centre pass which they converted.
The second quarter was a hard slog with both teams putting plenty of pressure on each other all up and down the court.
The match was played in good spirits apart from two occasions when game umpire Leah LeLievre had cause to stop the match to caution two players (one from each team) and request them to modify their aggressive styles of play. JKM appeared to get a bit “rattled” and the deficit they were chasing had increased to six points with Pumpettes going into the half time break up 18-12.
JKM however had all the momentum in the third quarter and staged a determined fightback. Their shooter Lauren Urquhart showed fantastic composure under the ring and, with three minutes left in the quarter, JKM had locked the scores up at 22-all.
Pumpettes’ late goal just before the end of the third quarter gave them at 24-23 lead at the break and it was set to be a thrilling finish.
Pumpettes came out firing in the final quarter and with their shooter, Emma Barton (who was named Player of the Grand Final) shooting every ball that was handed to her, they dominated all over the court and closed out the match with a seven points win.
Pumpettes’ captain Kelly Fairbank and the team was very excited with their win.
She said the recruitment of “some young blood and long arms” this season had helped them to finally secure a grand final win.
