Tyntynder, Balranald tie in thriller

TWO last minute goals from Zoe Spence-Benfield saw Tyntynder and Balranald play out a heart-stopping 48-goal apiece draw at Greenham Park on Saturday.

With no more than three goals separating the two teams all game, the final quarter was always going to come down to the wire, with Balranald edging a couple of goals clear thanks goal shooter Bec Harvey, who shot three consecutive goals mid-way through the final quarter.

Tyntynder refused to yield however, with Spence-Benfield stepping up in the final minute of the match to level the scores.

Both coaches were philosophical after the match, with Tyntynder co-coach Bridget Dedini happy with her team’s work rate and combinations.

“While you always go for the win, two points is better than none,” Dedini said.

“We were really happy with our combinations around the court, our attack played really well with a range of different combinations and we are lucky to have depth with our bench as it was a hot day and anyone that took the court slotted in seamlessly.

“We felt our defence worked tirelessly throughout the match also, so we took a lot of positives from the game.”

Balranald’s Elli-Jane Pollard was equally happy with her team’s performance, despite being unable to hold on late in the game.

“It’s definitely a funny feeling, it was a great game but unfortunately we just couldn’t quite hold on in the end,” Pollard said.

“I thought our defensive pressure was great but we were just unable to convert our turnovers when we had the chance.

“Bonnie Jolliffe and Katelyn Hazlett were named out best players and were great all game.”

Goal attack Demi Hallam and Tamara Weiss in the centre were Tyntynder’s better players.

FINAL WHISTLE