Unfortunately for Lockington-Bamawm United’s netballers that failed to be the case against Mount Pleasant in Rylea Cuttriss’ first game as coach of the Heathcote District Netball League side.
While she may not have been on the court due to injury, Cuttriss would have been pleased to see improvement from her side despite the 13-goal loss.
This season has been nothing short of a struggle for LBU, as injuries have hampered their bid to move up the ladder.
But with players getting close to returning, the short-term future looks bright according to captain Carlie Jones.
‘‘It’s great when we have our best team available,’’ she said.
‘‘Having players return from injury has had a ripple effect on the club, there is a lot more positivity.
‘‘Players are no longer being asked to play two games in a day.
‘‘Despite what the ladder says, we’re pleased with how things are looking going forward.’’
In the first half, the off-court confidence had translated onto the court as LBU stayed within touching distance of their hosts.
But in the third term, it all fell apart as the Cats began to make simple errors which Mount Pleasant pounced on to put the game beyond doubt.
‘‘Our transition out of defence was our downfall,’’ Jones said.
‘‘Good teams are always going to punish those mistakes.
‘‘We need to improve that area of our game.’’
Next Saturday’s clash against North Bendigo will represent a mini-final for both sides, as they both look for their second win of the season.
‘‘Both teams have their season on the line,’’ she said.
‘‘Our girls will be fighting it out until the end.’’
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