POTENT attacking duo Amy Lutze and Madison Jess powered South Mildura to their third straight victory against bottom-placed Red Cliffs at Mildura Sporting Precinct’s netball courts on Saturday.
A second-quarter blitz by the Bulldogs, in which they sank 20 goals to the Tigers’ five, proved decisive in their 58-38 A Grade win.
Tara Bate’s outfit have put their SFNL season back on track after they dropped their opening four games.
Playing with greater fluency in attack, the Bulldogs are showing they are capable of back-to-back finals appearances.
Bate was delighted with her team’s performance but gave special praise to captain Lutze and rising star Jess, who switched from Balranald in the summer, for their goal-circle supremacy.
“Amy and Madi are really starting to gel well. Their combination is just so smooth,” playing coach Bate said.
She said the full squad’s hard work at training was paying off on game day.
“I couldn’t be happier with the girls. They stuck at it (through the losing run), kept working hard and the results are coming now,” Bate said.
Tigers coach Romany Bowen lamented her 1-6 team’s poor second quarter against the Bulldogs, saying “it probably cost us the game”.
“We were close to them in three of the four quarters, and I thought we had good late momentum,” she said.
“Each week, we’re getting better and better, and the girls keep fighting.
“I’m confident our second half of the year will be a completely different story because of the improvement we’re showing.”
South Mildura 58 d Red Cliffs 38
BEST: South Mildura: Amy Lutze, Tara Bate. Red Cliffs: Rhia Doherty, Yelena Richardson.
