Sunshine Girls ready to deliver – Henry
NATIONAL SENIOR netball coach Sasher-Gaye Henry says that the Sunshine Girls are pumped up for tomorrow’s big semi-final match against rivals England at the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast. The match is set to begin at 2 a.m. (Jamaica time).
The Sunshine Girls will enter the contest on the back of their humiliating 72-51 defeat to hosts Australia in their final group game on Wednesday.
However, the Sunshine Girls will be oozing confidence, having defeated the English Roses to claim the bronze at the last championships four years ago in Glasgow, Scotland.
Henry, who was a member of that Jamaican team, said that they have put yesterday’s defeat behind them and that they are looking forward to the clash against the English girls.
“We can definitely bounce back in this semi-final because the tournament has just started for us now that we have lost that game,”said Henry.
“We are going to approach it very confidently because we know that they are a tough team, and we know the quality that they will bring to us, and so it is going to be a keenly contested game. I think it is going to come down to the team that shoots the best,” Henry said.
NEED TO BE MORE PATIENT
She added that the Sunshine Girls would have to be a lot more patient in their attack while remaining focused and disciplined throughout the match.
“We have to play the entire 60 minutes and not be inconsistent in terms of how we play against this English team,” Henry said. “I think based on the mood in the camp, the girls are disappointed with the loss, which is a good thing because they are talking about the errors that they made, and so that is a good thing for us moving into this game.
“We definitely have to ensure that we take care of our possession of the ball. Our transition of the ball from our defence to the shooting circle is also one of the key elements that we also must ensure that we get right in this game,” she said.
The Sunshine Girls will be led by captain and top shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid, who is among the top shooters in the competition.
She is expected to receive support from goal attack Shanice Beckford, veteran centre Paula Thompson, wing attack Khadijah Williams, wing defence Vangelee Williams, and goal defence Stacian Facey, as well as goal keeper Shamera Sterling.
Meanwhile, the English Roses, who ended the group stages unbeaten, defeated New Zealand 54-45 in their final group game, also on Wednesday.