- RICARDO MAKYN/Staff Photographer
Members of the Edwin Allen Junior and Senior netball teams celebrate their double achievement after the UGI/ISSA All-Island high school netball finals at the Leila Robinson Courts yesterday. Edwin Allen defeated Corporate Area champions Wolmer's 21-19 and Dunoon 30-26 in the Junior and Senior finals respectively.
Charmaine Austin, Staff Reporter
EDWIN ALLEN did warn that they were not to be taken lightly and they meant it.
Ask Dunoon who lost their title yesterday after going down 30-26 to the Clarendon-based school in the UGI/ISSA All-Island senior schoolgirls netball final at the Leila Robinson Courts.
Edwin Allen completed the double after beating Wolmer's 21-19 in the preceding junior final and literally went home singing in the rain, quite deserving of their success.
As All-Island senior and junior and rural junior and senior champions, they couldn't ask for much more and for this coach Minneth Reynolds was grateful.
"The girls were determined to make it a reality. It wasn't easy, especially in the senior game but we pulled it off and for us an ugly win is better than a pretty loss," Reynolds said.
THANKED GOD
"We deserved everything we have earned and we thank God for the strength and the team for its hard work," she said.
Edwin Allen were late getting to the venue and Corporate Area senior champions Dunoon were hoping to capitalise on the apparent disadvantage but goalkeeper Latoya Rose had a surprise awaiting them in the second half.
Shot for shot was traded at the start but Dunoon, the more confident team, raced into the lead and at half-time had the score in their favour at 14-12.
POSITIVE INSTRUCTIONS
Acting on some positive instructions at the break, Edwin Allen put on an improved performance and took the lead for the first time at 16-15.
The team from the East was not about to relinquish its hold on the Cup so easily and rallied hard to equalise at 18-18.
The determination of which the Edwin Allen coach spoke kicked in and that, coupled with the numerous interceptions being pulled by Rose at the defensive end, soon put the rural champions seven goals up (27-20).
A fightback in the dying minutes of the match was only sufficient for Dunoon to cut down the lead margin but not enough to give them victory."
Good game, Edwin Allen. You did very well. We made a spirited try but we lost the game in the amount of turnovers. I'm still very proud of the girls for getting this far," Dunoon's coach, C. Lloyd Walker, said.
Edwin Allen's getting the double is their second such accomplishment but the fourth time that the seniors have won the All-Island title and the third for the juniors.
The junior final was equally competitive but Edwin Allen made their intentions clear from early when they intercepted Wolmer's first centre pass mid-court and converted that plus their own.
Edwin Allen scored five clear goals before Wolmer's got off the mark and never once let go of the lead.
They were 13-8 at half-time and stayed on course for their two-goal win.Representatives of sponsors United General Insurance Company Limited were among those present to watch the match.
Said marketing manager Ruth Cummings: "It is the first year of us sponsoring this event and we are happy for the most part with how everything turned out. The games were quite exciting."
