Geraldton water polo round 14: Top side Demons go down to B52’s in penultimate round

It was a day for finalising ladder placements and looking forward to finals in the weekend’s action at the Aquarena, as the Geraldton Water Polo Association entered its penultimate regular season round.

Corey ‘Duck’ Smith helped his A-grade side triumph over the Rats on Saturday, with the in-form Relics winning 7-4 and Kurt and Drew Tunbridge displaying fine form for the victors.

On the other side of the fence Ollie Green did a commendable job for the Rats, scoring and setting up some excellent attacking movements.

The men’s A-grade ladder leaders and in-form side the Demons suffered a significant setback against the B52’s, with the team already booked into the grand final enduring a 14-7 defeat.

Lachy Toomath did his best for the Demons in attack, scoring four goals and defending well, however, the day belonged to the B52’s, with the combined firepower and experience of Callum Sojan, Mick Rock, and Leo Prout proving too much for the stand-in Demons goalie.

In the women’s A-grade matches, the B52’s had a good run against the composite side, with Emma Smith and Abbey Benham notching three goals apiece in the 9-2 win.

The Demons versus Rats match may have been a moot point with both sides already securing their final ladder places, but each team played well.

The Demons emerged as 9-3 winners, with Sabine Angelatos on fire, scoring four goals and acting as a rock in the Demons’ defence.

In men’s B-grade games, the Demons drew 5-5 against the Rats, with young guns Green for the Rats and Toomath for the Demons exceptional in the pool, each scoring two goals and setting up multiple opportunities for their teammates.

The Relics had a convincing win over the B52’s, with Brenden Jones having a superb day for the Relics in their 9-4 victory.

In the women’s B-grade games, the B52’s delivered another strong performance, defeating the Serpents 8-2, with Evie Prout scoring three goals for the victors.

The Rats versus the Demons game ended in a well-deserved 6-6 draw, with Billie Marshall and Saskia Newman once again in fine form for the Demons ladies, while Ava Chesson stood out for the Rats, scoring a goal and setting up a lot of attacking plays for her side.