Centrals Trinity Beach have jumped into second position on the AFL Cairns Women's League ladder after a comfortable 11-point win against the Manunda Hawks on Saturday. Centrals began their onslaught at Fretwell Park early, with a four-goal blitz in the first quarter. While the Bulldogs would only score one more goal in the fourth quarter, they did enough to keep the pressure on the Hawks in their 5-6-(36) to 3-7-(25) victory. "We were getting numbers to the ball, and...making sure we were first to the ball," Centrals president Jacqui Rowlands said. "If Hawks were in front, we always had a hand in there making sure they weren't getting their marks. "We were pretty hungry for the win." Centrals retained the bulk of their experienced pre Christmas squad for the round 5 clash, with Rowlands naming Lauretta Dowling, Sarah Edwards, Shae Mortimer and Cassey Volenias among several of the team's standout players. Meanwhile, Hawks assistant coach, Fiona Sharp blamed a slow start for forcing her team into the trap of "playing catch-up all day". "We were crawling back in the last quarter, but we'd left it too late. That first quarter killed us," Sharp said. "Our skills really let us down." The Hawks will face the South Cairns Cutters next weekend with Sharp believing the Manunda side will have to re-focus their intensity if they want to win. In the other game, North Cairns Tigers (7-9-51) stormed home to an emphatic victory over the Cutters (3-3-21), leaving the competition favourites at the top of the table. South Cairns are without a win after five games and must improve markedly if they are to trouble the other sides.
Last Modified on 04/03/2013 11:32