Sport
21 July, 2026
Weakened Redbacks still prevail past Trentham
Despite being without several key players, a gutsy Carisbrook ended an industrious encounter against finals hopefuls Trentham with a well-earned 13-goal victory.
With standout midcourter Charlotte Cain and reliable defender Elise Mottram joining Chloe Egan and Laura Hurse on the sidelines, four members of Carisbrook’s B grade squad were called into double duty.
Immediately after leading B grade to a narrow four-goal win, Sherriden Byrne, Sophie Mark, Mahli Stone and Holly Nichols helped A grade superstars Jordan Macilwain, Finley Wagstaff and Katie Bilton build and preserve a 13-goal half time lead.
While the final result didn’t improve their top eight predicament, the Saints ended Saturday’s defeat with an outstanding second half, a vital boost of self-belief as they attempt to punch their finals ticket following this weekend’s bye.
After the Redbacks and Saints suffered high-scoring defeats to Navarre in their last outing, scoring proved scarce in the early going with defensive structure a main priority.
In the midst of both teams shielding starts, opposing goalkeepers Finley Wagstaff and Jessica Walker were the superstars of a tense opening term.
With Wagstaff using her noticeable height advantage over Trentham shooters Sharna Ford and Charli Copeland to be a rebounding menace while also being a constant pest in the passing lanes, Carisbrook looked poised to build a commanding lead.
The only thing stopping the Redbacks was Walker, who was having one of the best quarters in her stellar career. The former Nalder Tracey trophy winner was everywhere in the defensive third, producing some spectacular defensive plays to keep the Saints alive.
The Redbacks eventually found ways past the Walker wall late in the first quarter, leading 11-6 at the opening break.
The tide began to fully flow Carisbrook’s way in the second quarter as the Saints were soaked by the Redbacks’ wave of defensive tension.
As Byrne, Mark, Stone and Nichols platooned the wing defence and goal defence positions, the Redbacks played an aggressively high defensive line that emphasised swarming Trentham’s midcourters.
With Carisbrook’s game plan resulting in turnovers higher up the court, Trentham’s defence had less time to set up against the barraging attacks of Bilton, Macilwain and Abbey Nalder. The trio helped the Redbacks score 16 goals in the second quarter as the margin rose to 13 goals by half time.
While Carisbrook attempted to make their lead insurmountable in the second half, a secret weapon emerged from the shadows and kickstarted a Saints revival.
After sporadic cameos in the first half, C grade’s leading goalscorer Keisha Shearer started to excel against tougher competition, making the most of some sweet entry passes from Copeland and Amy Vandenham.
With Shearer’s silky shooting and B grade call-up Bonnie Hodgson helping Walker and Madelyne Brennan in the defensive third after being brought on late in the second term, the Saints managed to cut their deficit to 11 goals after a 15-13 third quarter.
Trentham’s riveting third term proved not to be a fluke after three-quarter time, with the final term proving equally competitive.
However, Carisbrook’s lead was never truly threatened by Trentham’s fightback, with Abbey Nalder ending with 32 goals and Macilwain scoring 21 at an efficient 87.5 percent shooting percentage.
Despite being fully introduced at half time, Shearer finished as the Saints’ leading scorer with a remarkable 23 goals. Ford provided helpful support with 13 goals while Copeland went a perfect four for four in the first half.