CASEY Demons have overcome a plucky Southern Saints outfit to run over the top of their opponents to win by 14 goals in last night’s Victorian Netball League (VNL) Championship clash. The Demons – boasting Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) experienced players such as co-captains Emma Ryde in goal shooter and Sharni Lambden in wing defence – started slowly but found their grove after quarter time to post a 65-51 victory and take home their second win of the season.

CASEY DEMONS 14 | 15 | 17 | 19 (65)
SOUTHERN SAINTS 17 | 9 | 12 | 13 (51)

Though the Saints headed into the match sitting second after two wins and a draw, the Demons – with Ryde returning to the fold – had more experience and were arguably favourites in the contest. Despite that fact, it was the Saints who started off strongly. The Saints forced an early turnover, and with Ryde missing her first chance, and goal keeper and captain Ashlee Barnett picking up the rebound, the Saints were the first on the board through Emily Andrew. Ryde scored on her next opportunity and it was clear it would be a battle of the holding shooters.

Through the midcourt, the clash between Lambden at wing defence and Rylee Nelson at wing attack was fascinating, with the latter taking it up to the Vixens training partner, whilst Tegan Stephenson was teaming up well with Barnett in the defensive goal circle. There was extra motivation for Casey goal attack Sinead Lumsden, who was coming up against her former Saints side for the first time, and was able to confidently put up her first shot.

After the Demons trailed 1-4 early, they hit back to level the scores, and Olivia Machente was beginning to dominate through wing attack against her less experienced, but highly talented opponent, Tadiwa Kahonde. That forced the first rolling sub move, with Caitlin Cooke coming on at wing defence, and the Saints – through an Ashley Gill deflection – were able to score and gain a three-goal buffer. There was an opportunity to go further up at quarter time, but a clumsy long feed saw a turnover and goal to Ryde up the other end. Both sides were digging deep in the final minute, with both Cooke and captain Barnett picking up intercepts.

By the first whistle, the Saints led 17-14, shooting at 89 per cent, whilst the Demons were still accurate at 82 per cent efficiency. Lambden’s bodywork around the circle was making Nelson earn everything, and though Lumsden had done well in goal attack for the Saints, they rotated Poppy Douglass into the spot. Between the Casey midcourt of centre Christie Urie, and the control at each wing of Machente and Lambden, the Demons gave Ryde plenty of opportunities and she did not let them down. It swayed the momentum firmly in the Demons favour.

Having trailed 15-19 at one stage, the Demons hit back with some outstanding defensive pressure, forcing turnovers in midcourt and it in term reduced the Saints’ shooting efficiency. Elly Randall got a run at goalkeeper for Barnett, as Ryde and Douglass scored 14 of the next 21 goals to take a 29-26 lead into half-time after a 15-9 quarter. In the term the Saints shooting efficiency had dropped to 69 per cent, with the Demons have six less penalties (eight for the quarter) as well as two rebounds, two intercepts and two deflections.

After being rested later in the term, Lambden returned to wing defence with Lumsden back on in the goal circle, and Chaise Vasallo replacing Uri in centre. Kahonde also made her way back onto court with Barnett as the side’s retained similar looking lineups to the first centre pass of the match. This time though, it was Casey who continued to build a lead through some fantastic momentum and Lambden – courtesy of a couple of intercepts – enabled Lumsden and Ryde to score.

The chances kept coming with Cooke replacing Stephenson and Alana McGurgan replacing Nelson at wing defence, whilst Urie later returned to centre for the Demons after some strong plays from new recruit Vasallo in the term. Though the Saints were able to produce their own intercepts at the defensive end, the number was far greater for the Demons, as Georgia Vines and Lambden went to work and the Demons took a 46-38 lead into the final break. That came off the back of seven intercepts and two deflections, and 17-12 quarter which now had the more experienced side in the box seat.

It was much of the same in the final term as the result blew out due to the experience reigning supreme. As well as the young Saints had gone, they had begun tiring against the more experienced Demons outfit. Ryde and Lumsden were shooting the lights out, and as Douglass came on later in the term, the winners had not missed a shot in the final stanza. By contrast, a crucial miss by Andrew – after she had nailed a long-range one from the circle edge – failed to bring the deficit back to seven goals, and the Demons ran away with it.

Nelson moved into wing attack and Kahonde got a taste in centre for the Saints, as Versallo replaced Urie in centre for he Demons. The first Demons miss did not come until the 12-minute mark, but with the tip coming back to the Demons and Ryde making good on that rare miss, the lead was already out to 13 goals. Kahonde got a last minute intercept which was eye-catching, but Ryde added a few late goals – with the last one just a split second after the final whistle not counting – for a final score of 65-51.

VNL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 4 RESULTS:

Casey Demons (65) defeated Southern Saints (51)
North East Blaze (58) defeated Ariels (49)
Hawks Netball (55) defeated City West Falcons (53)
Melbourne University Lightning (60) defeated Peninsula Waves (37)
Geelong Cougars (48) defeated Boroondara Express (36)