Panthers and Maroons fight out thrilling draw; winning 200th for Hercus

But put on the court together, little to nothing can seemingly split the pair.

That was again the case on Saturday as the Maroons and Panthers fought out a nail-biting draw at Malone Park.

It was their second thriller of the season, after the Panthers held on for a two-goal win in their round two clash at Riverside Park.

While the Maroons led by three goals at half time and by four at three quarter time on Saturday, they never had the game on their own terms, before a late surge from the Panthers sent both teams home with two points.

An upbeat Newbridge co-coach Selina Holland said her side was pleased to emerge with a draw, especially after Marong had controlled possession of the ball in the final 30 seconds.

"Probably that last three or four minutes, Marong made that one last-ditch effort to put the pressure on us," she said.

"We really did have to work hard in those dying seconds to shut down that final attack.

"In the end, we were happy to come away with a draw."

While conditions were dreadful for all players, they were particularly brutal for goal shooters.

But that did not stop a poised and precise Kym Childs from conjuring a best on court performance for Newbridge.

Wing attack Rachel Pettifer was the other standout for the Maroons with her skill and strong work-rate.

A draw left the Maroons with just two points from their last three games, following back-to-back defeats against Mitiamo and Bridgewater, which defeated Maiden Gully YCW 45-34 on Saturday.

They will face another tough encounter next week against the in-form Bears Lagoon-Serpentine, which made it three wins in a row for the first time since 2017, with a 49-31 victory over Inglewood.

Pleasingly for Holland and co-coach Kristy Gandy, there were signs of a return to their best from the Maroons after a few hiccups.

"The last couple of weeks we have had a couple of little niggly injuries among the girls, so we have probably just been a bit off our game," Holland said.

"But (on Saturday) we definitely found our game again.

"Maybe that was due to the rain and having to slow down and play a bit more controlled netball.

"But whatever it was, it worked."

A delighted Panthers coach Robyn Cunnington praised a massive come-from-behind effort by her side in the final quarter.

"We just ran out of time. The girls were so pumped in the last quarter," she said.

"But two points is better than none, especially where our season is at.

"We just literally ran out of time.

"The girls should be proud. They gave it everything they've got in those tough conditions.

"We just need to build on it now and hopefully connect quicker and more consistently. That would be a total game changer."

While thrilled to have shared the points after being behind for the bulk of the contest, Cunnington conceded it had somewhat hindered their chances of forcing their way into the five.

They now trail fifth-placed Bears Lagoon-Serpentine by six points.

"But I think it's in us to pick off Pyramid Hill or Bridgy and then beat Serp," she said.

"That would change the end of the season completely.

"The Serp game is the big one. That potentially gives us a way back if we can get a win over one of those top three."

The Panthers were powered by a big performance by goal shooter Bridget Willox in what Cunnington dubbed 'her best game of the season'.

"She found her feet, opened everything up and worked the angles really well," she said.

The Panthers were undoubtedly at their best with Bianca Garton in the line-up at wing attack.

The former coach was playing her second game post-childbirth, and spent roughly two quarters on the court, after playing one the previous week against Mitiamo.

Maroons coach Holland acknowledged the influence Garton had on the outcome.

"When she came on, her passing into the goalers was spot-on. She knew exactly where to put it," she said.

"We really had trouble keeping that under wraps."

A mid-season recruit for the Maroons, goaler Bianca Bourke made her debut for Newbridge against her former club, playing parts of the A and B-grade games.

Earlier, the Panthers helped make it a day to remember for goal shooter Brittany Hercus, who celebrated her 200th game in style, in a 15-goal win in Saturday's B-grade game.

A 51-36 loss was the Maroons' first of the season.

While they kept top spot, the Maroons were joined on 36 points by Pyramid Hill.

The Panthers, who are the reigning premiers in B-grade, are handily placed in third, four points behind the top pair.

Cunnington, who also coaches B-grade, said they were rapt to get a win for Hercus.

Next up for Marong in A-grade is Pyramid Hill, which rebounded from a shock loss to Bears-Lagoon-Serpentine to score a 79-24 win over Calivil United.

The second-placed Bulldogs (8-2) maintained their four-point break over Bridgewater in third.