At half time, Cummins brought on Kerry Giles to wing attack in place of Janelle Sheehan while Cook switched Erin Butcher to wing attack and moved Carmen Gaskell from that position to centre.

A few minutes into the third quarter and Kapunda went on another 5-0 run to lead by 15 and the result was not in doubt and they had another 4-0 run late for a 17-8 quarter score.

With a 16-goal Kapunda lead at the last change the sting had gone out of the game and while both sides remained strongly committed, the Bombers were able to edge ahead by another five goals for a strong 21-goal victory.

Lee-Anne said she thought her best players had been Lana Farley at goal shooter, Hannah Thomas at goal keeper and Penny Chappell in centre.

Karina said she had been very happy with Kayla Collins’ first half and thought Anna Dunn had played very well at goal defence.

“As good as Anna was at goal defence, we definitely missed her drive through the middle,” Karina said.

“There is also no doubt we missed Cassie’s presence as we had to promote Erin Butcher from the 2s and while she did a good job, it meant a team restructure and we just didn’t have enough time to consolidate.”

What the coaches said.

Lee-Anne Cummins (Kapunda)

“I was really happy with our intensity over four quarters.

“To have quarters of 18, 17, 17 and 15 in any game is excellent but in a final I thought it was a tribute to the girls’ intensity to be able to score at such a high rate. It was also good to be able to get all nine players on court. Everyone knows that if they are needed in the finals they are capable of stepping up.”

Karina Cook (South Gawler)

“It was a disappointing result and the girls took the loss hard but all have said they will be back next year to try and improve. They see 2010 as a building block.

“It was disappointing to end the season because everyone said they had enjoyed their netball.

“Realistically it would have been extremely tough to take off the premiership but we are happy to make the progress we have. To make finals and be so competitive was a big step forward.”

Semi-final roundup

Played at Willaston

Sub Junior 3: Gawler Central 30 def South Gawler 3

Gawler Central came out firing and completely dominated the first half. This reflected on the scoreboard as South struggled against a determined Central outfit. Due to their match-winning lead Central utilised their bench making the quarter more even and South settled and looked more comfortable. However, Central regrouped at the last change and came out determined to finish the game strongly and assure their place in the preliminary final.

Sub Junior 2: Freeling 23 def Willaston 14

After the minor rounds these two teams were one win each so a tight game was expected. Finals’ nerves were evident and Willaston started the best having a four-goal lead at the first break. Freeling settled in the second quarter and took control of the game and dominated for the next two quarters. Willaston made changes and the final quarter was an even contest. In the end, the lead was too great and Freeling advanced to the preliminary final.

Sub Junior 1: South Gawler 35 def Gawler Central 19

A very even start with both sides applying pressure and forcing turnovers. The second quarter saw South settle and defend strongly to gain a handy lead by the long break. Gawler Central made positional changes to try and counteract South in the third quarter, but unfortunately this did not pay off and South were able to extend their lead. The last quarter saw both teams compete strongly but South proved too strong on the day.

Junior 2: South Gawler 46 def Willaston 31

South started strongly taking the lead at half-time by 16 goals. Willaston regrouped and adapted to the umpiring playing a more disciplined third quarter. With South Gawler going into the final quarter with a good lead Willaston’s defence worked hard to create turnovers and outscore South.

Junior 1: Nuriootpa 48 def South Gawler 41

Nuriootpa fired early as South took time to settle. This enabled Nuriootpa to take a handy lead by the first break. The second quarter was evenly contested but South came back strongly in the third quarter with more desire and accurate shooting. With only a two-goal lead to play with Nuriootpa regained their confidence and their initial seven-goal lead to advance to the preliminary final.

Intermediate 1: Willaston 59 def Tanunda 45

Both Willaston and Tanunda started strongly with only one goal the difference at quarter time. Tanunda’s passing let them down in the second quarter and Willaston capitalised on Tanunda’s errors to lead by 10 goals at half time. Both sides applied pressure and forced turnovers both ends of the court in the last half of the game. However, Willaston extended their lead making it difficult for Tanunda to play catch-up netball resulting in Willaston advancing to the preliminary final.

Intermediate 2: South Gawler 49 def Freeling 36

South began the match confidently and adjusted to finals’ pressure with more ease and this reflected on the scoreboard. The second quarter saw Freeling settle and become more competitive but South regrouped at the main break and applied defensive pressure to force Freeling into errors to regain ascendency. The last quarter saw Freeling come back but the gap was too large.

Senior 6: Freeling 49 def South Gawler 42

A tightly-contested game. Freeling started slightly stronger than South to have a three-goal lead at the first break. Freeling were able to break away in the second to lead by six at the main break. South made positional changes and made a real comeback in the third bringing the margin to four and the game poised for a close finish. Freeling played the steadier netball in the final term and were able to capitalise on the opportunities to advance into the preliminary final.

Senior 5: South Gawler 55 def Angaston 39

With strong defensive pressure by South Gawler they took the lead at the half-time. Angaston came out determined in the third quarter to control their possessions of the ball and were able to do so by matching South Gawler in this quarter. Unfortunately Angaston’s consistency did not last and South Gawler were able to gain a lead and win by 16 goals.

Senior 4: Freeling 47 def South Gawler 28

Freeling came out strong in the first quarter, adjusting well to finals’ netball. South were strong in the mid court, making it hard for Freeling to bring the ball down the court but didn’t capitalise on the turnovers created. A 10-goal lead at the main break set Freeling up well for the second half. South made several changes at half time and this enabled them to make a mini comeback but Freeling settled midway through the quarter and continued to build on their advantage for the remainder of the game to run away with a 19-goal win.

Senior 3: Freeling 49 def Nuriootpa 36

Nuriootpa began strongly scoring the first three goals. Freeling showed a few finals’ nerves with unforced errors causing turnovers. However once they settled Freeling were able to capitalise and hold a handy lead by the first break. This turned out to be the trend for the rest of the match. Nuriootpa tried different combinations and tried hard but Freeling were able to slowly build on their first quarter lead to win convincingly.

Senior 2: South Gawler 47 def Angaston 40

The game started at a fast and intense pace with both South and Angaston fighting hard for every ball. Although an even contest all over the court, South was able to capitalise best and establish a match-winning lead in the first quarter. Positional changes made by Angaston had an impact on the scoreboard outscoring South in the second and third quarter. The final quarter again was an even tussle but that lead from earlier was too great and South finished with a lead of seven to advance to the next round.