Tracy Village Falcons soared to second place in Darwin Netball after sealing a win over Waratahs

TRACY Village survived a tight contest to pull to a 43-37 win over a confident Waratahs outfit in Round 9 of the Darwin Netball Premier League

Falcons’ Gemma Henderson stood out under the post for her side. Picture: Glenn Campbell

TRACY Village survived a tight contest to pull to a 43-37 win over a confident Waratahs outfit in Round 9 of the Darwin Netball Premier League.

Waratahs had an impressive start to the contest, building confidence after winning against Nightcliff last round, with Michelle Hann strong at the post.

However, the Falcons picked up the pace in the second half to wrestle back control.

The importance of finishing opportunities and landing shots was the main message from coach Sharon Freeman during the week, and the introduction of goal shooter Fran Cercarelli achieved that aim.

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Cercarelli and goal attack Gemma Henderson hit their shots more consistently than the Falcons had managed in recent weeks, rewarding the efforts of their defenders.

“It was good to get the win after such a dogged game, so it certainly feels good to have got over the line,” Henderson told the NT News.

“We started off pretty slow, so we lifted the intensity in the third quarter and realised that we had to really put our foot down and take control, with Waratahs being a pretty strong side.

“From here we really need to start hitting the court running from the first quarter instead of waiting until we get into the swing of things, as we did.

“It was Fran’s first game up with us in the Premier League and she had a fantastic game under the post, really showing she belongs at this level.”

Meanwhile, in other Premier League action, Hoggies pulled off a tight 26-24 win over Nightcliff.

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It was the Hoggies’ second win of the season and brings the side back into the fight for a top-four spot.

The undefeated Pints, however, remain top of the table, three wins clear of their closest opposition.