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Sports Reporter
GREENFUEL extended their winning streak in the Nedbank Premier Netball League when dominating the weekend’s games in Chisumbanje.
Hosting, cluster five games, GreenFuel picked maximum points against Ngezi Platinum Queens and Harare City. They beat Ngezi 39-30. The weekend’s win saw GreenFuel complete a league double over Ngezi having beaten them in the first round of the season. They then overpowered Harare City 33-15 in the other match and the wins saw GreenFuel moving a place up from third to second position on the log table.
GreenFuel coach Sibonginkosi Dube was impressed with her charges as she said they stuck the game plan.
“The Ngezi game, I think it was going to be more of a battle of the mind more than the physical . . . So my girls showed character in the first quarter. We led from the first quarter, then I knew that we were going to take it home.
“First quarter is critical because it is the battle of the mind, whoever wins that they have got control of the game. We stuck to our basics basically. We never lost character, we never lost faith in our capabilities.
“Second quarter I think Ngezi gave us a run a bit because the score was 20-15 but we kept our foot on the accelerator we were never fazed by the fact that they outscored us in the second quarter. Basically the girls stuck to the game plan and we took it home,” said Dube.
The win against Ngezi Platinum, has left Dube spurred and entertaining their chances of going for the title. GreenFuel had indicated at the beginning of the season that they are going for a top two finish.
Platinum Queens are currently leading the race. “The fact that we managed to win over Ngezi it keeps our hopes for the championship alive because that’s one of the biggest battle we had this weekend putting in mind that Ngezi beat Platinum (Queens).
“They handed Platinum their first loss of the season, so we approached the game with a bit of caution and we managed to pull through.”
They still have some tough matches in this second round in Platinum Queens and ZDF Queens. Dube took advantage of their game against Harare City to try some of their new players. They have roped in defender Sanele Ncube and shooters Lisa Tanyanyiwa and Theresa Lundu.
“Harare City game I was trying different combinations, I knew that Harare City, they don’t have the endurance that we have, so then having played one game it put me at easy to try the youngsters, the new players that I took in the transfer window.
“So I checked to see how much I have done with them, how much they have grown in the game. So it gave me that liberty to try new things,” Dube said. Ngezi Platinum Queens coach Tapiwa Chirenda expressed disappointment over their defeat. They also lost to ZDF Queens 34-37. “I feel we could easily have won both games if we had played according to how we trained. But games as coaches, usually your fate is solely in the hands of players during games and you can only do so much. So we live to fight another day. “I would also recommend the powers that be to not throw unseasoned umpires down the deep end on such crucial and high profile games so our games end without any form of reproach,” said Chirenda.
Results
Harare City 22, ZDF Queens 40; GreenFuel 39, Ngezi Platinum Queens 30; GreenFuel 33, Harare City 15; ZDF Queens 37, Ngezi Platinum Queens 34.
Online Reporter