AFTER returning to the court from a lengthy lay-off with a comfortable win last weekend, the Bathurst Goldminers will be aiming for six straight women’s State League wins when they head to Wagga Wagga tomorrow.

The Goldminers take on the Blaze in what should be a good contest, with Wagga looking to square their ledger at four wins and four losses.

However, Blaze will have a task on their hands if the Goldminers can continue the form they have already shown in five big wins.  It has given them a percentage of 178.57.

It will be the first of three regular season meetings between the sides, but Bathurst coach Jo Cafe said she has been lucky enough to already pick up some ideas on how her team need to go about things.

“They have an American import playing for them at the moment [Dre’Shonda Williams] and have a lot of experienced players in their side from the last time we were in the same competition as them two years ago,” Cafe explained.

“We saw them at the central venue round and were able to do a bit of scouting on how they play and what we’ll need to do to combat it.

“I think the best thing we can do to try and get on top of them is to use our speed and fitness. We don’t have enough height and size and strength to try and take on their inside players.

“Our ball movement has been outstanding and very fast, so I’d like to think we can get them on the outside a little bit more.”

At the moment the Goldminers look like one of the teams to beat, but they will have one eye on Queanbeyan, the Yowies having won their first eight games of the season.

The two don’t meet for a few months yet.

Still, Cafe isn’t worried about the possibility that so many comfortable victories will leave them unprepared when an opponent, be it Wagga this weekend or any other side in the future, pushes them harder.

“Even in our convincing wins, those games have still been tight at times and we’ve had to work hard in all of them,” she said.

“Maybe the biggest thing is the defensive intensity. Our attack always flows pretty nicely, but the hardest thing to practice when you are starting to get on top is that intensity when they’ve got the ball.

“Last week against Goulburn we let them have too many uncontested shots, so maybe when we face the better teams that will be the area we have to look to the most.”

The Goldminers will be without Olivia Patterson, Riley Smith and Claire Woolmington for the clash, which starts at 5pm.

BATHURST GOLDMINERS: Alisha Booth, Hannah Cafe, Bronte Emanuel, Emily Matthews, Rachel Murray, Mary Porter, Laycee Covington-Gorst, Jessica Matthews, Chelsea Noon, Teagan Burke.