Police VI Too Strong For Gutsy Yaros
Koketso Kgoboge | Monday September 10, 2018 12:26
At the end of it all, spectators believed a point or two would have been a fair result for a spirited Yaros. Their coach, Mmoloki Gaobonwe said they were outdone by their first game against Diphatsa that was decided after five sets.“We came prepared for Police, which was the team we thought we will be playing first as per the initial schedule only to learn when we reached here that we were starting with Diphatsa,” he said.
“The game drew a lot out of us. We had to come back from a 2-0 to win 3-2 and to face Police that has depth. “A few minutes after that was always going to be a problem for us, but the boys gave them a torrid time and we deserved a better result.” Indeed Yaros was resilient,but the Police had the experience and it worked to their advantage. The first set of the sweltering match was ceremonial.
Police left Yaros after the 10th mark and raced to a 25-12 win. Yaros took the bull by the scruff in the second set.
They counted what Police did in a back and fourth set.
They took the lead for the first time in the set at 21-20. The defending champions turned the tables and led 24-23 before Odirile Sibanda, who was a force to reckon with, hit a kill to a deuce.
The teams traded punches in spectacular fashion that had the gallery up on its feet, but the experience of the law enforcers arrested the game at 29-27 to make it 2-0. The third set ensued like the second. Yaros came onto Police like a honey badger though they were usually let down by unforced errors.
Igobe Sikuku and Phillip Machira joined Sibanda as Yaros hit salvos from left, right and centre. But the cops held back, defending the net remarkably with Maatla Mogapi, Happy Ribbin and Aleck Engleton on top of their game.
Their libero, Uponi Gabobewe lurched in the background, outdoing himself to consolidate the defence.
The set also went to a deuce and in similar fashion, Police claimed it with an identical scoreline to take the match to bed at 3-0. Police coach Shimaka Ngwanaotsile praised his players for holding the line of defence well. He said they knew the game would be tough, but they prepared not to give away a point. “We defended extremely well and our attack was consistent. Our plan was not to give away a point and the guys showed character in a very tough battle. This is what we expect against any other side we face. They all want to get something from us and we are prepared,” he said.
In the opening game of the day, Yaros produced a spirited come back from 2-0 down to overcome Diphatsa 3-2. Things looked bad for them as they lost the first set 14-25 and the subsequent one 22-25. But they brought their mojo in the third set and turned the tables with a 25-23 win. They grew too strong for Diphatsa in the fourth set.
Apparently, the Francistowners lacked endurance and had to call time at 15-9 when it looked like it would be one way traffic for Yaros. They levelled matters with a convincing 25-18. Yaros returned like a house on fire in the deciding set,consequently taking a 3-0 lead from which they soared unperturbed by efforts from Diphatsa players.
They maintained the lead until they won the set 15-12, hence burying the game 3-2. In the only women’s game that was played in Serowe, Police beat Yaros 3-0 with a 25-6, 25-7 and 25-19.