Unbeaten Queen’s, Gaynstead clash in ISSA netball
IT WILL be a mere formality for most of the seeded teams for this Thursday’s semi-finals of the ISSA Urban Area Schoolgirl Netball Competition, when the final set of matches in the second round of the competition are played today at the Leila Robinson Courts, starting at 1 p.m. These are rescheduled matches, which were postponed due to rainfall two weeks ago.
All eyes will be on the Group 2 senior game where many-time champions. The Queen’s School will face last year’s beaten finalist Gaynstead in a top-of-thetable clash, where both teams are unbeaten after winning four matches each.
Despite both teams already booking their semi-final spots, it will be a very crucial encounter, as the winner here will avoid defending champions Excelsior in the semi-finals.
The Dalton Hinds-coached Gaynstead team has been one of the most impressive senior teams so far in the competition, picking up big wins in all their matches. The side has looked very solid in all areas and are coming off a big 59-17 win in their last encounter against Campion College at St Andrew High last Thursday.
GOOD GAME EXPECTED
Despite losing top player Hasana Williams to Excelsior High, this season this has not stopped the Marvette Anderson coached team from their winning ways. They have also scored some big wins in their three matches, with Immaculate failing to show for their last match, and so they were awarded with the points. A very good game is expected, but Gaynstead are favoured for the win and to take group honours.
After an easy win over the previously unbeaten St Catherine High in their last encounter, the Christopher Smart-coached Excelsior team should end on a high when
they take on Ardenne. The Phyllis Thompson-coached St Catherine team should cement second spot in the group when they go up against a struggling Holy Trinity.
It is the same story among the juniors team, where the semifinalists have already sorted themselves out. Defending champions, Gaynstead should end on a high when they take on Queen’s today. It has not been a good season for the young Queen’s team, which has lost twice so far in the round, and it looks a Herculean task for them in denying the champions in making it five from five. Norman Manley High, who will play Papine, should join them in the semi-finals as well.
St Catherine High are unbeaten in Group 1 and should end the round on a winning note and take group honours when they meet a hapless José Martí today. St Hugh’s, which has only lost once to St Catherine, looks set to make it as the second-place team in the group when they go up against Holy Childhood, who has an outside chance if they can win and join the Cross Roads team with three wins each, and force goal differences to decide the second-place team.