ANA 2023: Kangas sneak into finals after electric second half, Royals Saints 1 seal minor premiership

A last-gasp effort helped Kangas 1 snatch a finals berth, scoring a brilliant 11-goal win against Narrikup 1 in the final round of the Albany Netball Association A1 competition on Saturday. Kangas sat two points adrift of Magpies 1 in fourth spot heading into the clash but a dominant second half performance guided them to a 52-41 triumph, jumping one point clear of Magpies at the conclusion of round 14. Magpies, who had the bye, were knocked out of the top four as a result. Narrikup, who ended their season in third spot, will meet the fourth-placed Kangas in the elimination final this week for a chance at redemption. The winners enjoyed a slim 22-21 lead at half-time and pressed on with a 17-15 third stanza, skipping out to a three-goal lead at the last change. However, with their season at stake, it was a scintillating final term that ensured Kangas kept their premiership dreams alive, outscoring Narrikup 13-5. Kangas, led by prolific shooters Rebecca Benson and Jazelle Foggin, had the Narrikup defenders scrambling and they simply were unable able to contain their free-flowing attacking drive late. Royals Saints 1 sewed up top spot on the ANA ladder by percentage after a thumping 60-16 victory over bottom side Griffins 1. The game was all but over after a crushing 33-4 first-half rocked Griffins. Summer Stirling dropped a game-high 28 goals while Charlotte Edwards was also terrific with a 25-goal haul. Royals Saints finished equal on 18 points with Bullets 1, however, the reigning premiers claimed the minor premiership with a 15.05 percent advantage. In the other A1 fixture Bullets finished their regular season off strongly against Railways 1 with a 52-23 win. A dominant 39-goal performance from young gun Emily Gadean proved the catalyst as her side skipped out to a 23-5 lead at half-time. Gadean drained 23 of her 27 attempts in the second half as Railways stumbled to their seventh defeat of 2023. Royals Saints and Bullets will meet in the qualifying final on Saturday for an opportunity to advance directly into the A1 grand final on September 16.