Melton Centrals’ finals dream was extinguished in the dying seconds of extra time of their Riddell District Netball League elimination final against Romsey.
Centrals led most of the game, but then a slow start to the final quarter cost them dearly.
A four-goal three-quarter-time lead was turned into a two-goal deficit, and they had to fight their way back into the game.
Centrals levelled the scores and pushed the game into overtime, but in both overtime periods were slow out of the blocks.
With one last hurrah to go forward to again level the scores, Centrals fell just short and lost a thriller 55-54
Centrals’ coach Randy Pereira said it was a cracking game that lived up to expectations.
“Either side deserved to win. We led for most of the game,” he said.
“We were four goals in front heading into the final quarter and I said to the girls ‘look, let’s make sure we just score’.
“They scored the first six goals and it put us two goals down.
“Then the girls fought back to get it even.
“I look four weeks’ ago, they beat us by 20 goals … it was pleasing to turn that around.”
With the game heading into overtime, Pereira could only watch as his team again started slowly.
“In extra time, we let them score the first couple of goals.
“I said to them before the second part of extra time, we can’t keep letting them get a start and again they got a five-goal lead, and we then came back.
“Then 40 seconds to go and they [Romsey] realised there was 40 seconds to go, and they kept contacting to waste time … and that’s netball.
“We finally got the ball in the circle and the siren went.”
Rebecca Morabito was her side’s best, shooting 25 goals. Jessica May and Tran Troung were also busy.
The result capped off a tough year for Centrals, which struggled with players not being available.
Pereira said they would look to add some new players to the mix next year.
“I was proud we could turn a 20-goal loss three weeks ago to a possible could-have-been win,” he said.
“Hopefully, next year, we’ll get some younger players through … and I’ve got some players in mind to bring through.”
Pereira said he would like to go on next year.
The Centrals’ B-grade side was also eliminated after losing to Riddell, but the C-grade side has a second chance after losing to Rupertswood.
