Defeat for gallant Bermuda

Bermuda suffered their third defeat of the World Youth Netball Championships, going down 62-32 to Northern Ireland yesterday.

It was a tough final group encounter for Bermuda, who were at the mercy of their opponents’ shooters in the first quarter as they netted a  91-per-cent accuracy rate.

Danielle Oniya, for Bermuda, also had a great opening 15 minutes, but received half the amount of chances due to Ireland’s strong mid-court defending.

A fresh set of legs in the form of Akeyla Furbert, at WA, gave Bermuda fresh impetus but they could never quite get close enough to Northern Ireland.

After opening the tournament with defeats to New Zealand (106-16) and Trinidad & Tobago (47-31), Bermuda got their campaign back on track with a thrilling win over Malta.

It took a late, late score for Bermuda to edge out their opponents 40-38.

Early on in the game, Malta’s positional play saw them gain the upper hand. “There was a lack of concentration by our team,” admitted Bermuda coach Gina Benjamin. “The team made it very hard to get that ‘w’.”

The nailbiting second half saw the lead swing multiple times, with turnover after turnover until Bermuda got the decisive score.

Goal-shooter Oniya had a fine  game, netting 35 from 40 attempts.

Vice-captain Diara Benjamin, on the sidelines after breaking her leg in a bike accident before the tournament, said: “I thought it was an excellent game, the girls have been training for a very long time.

“We incorporated a lot of drills and I think it affected the other team by us pressuring the ball in defence.

“We fought hard and we needed this win.”

She added: “Unfortunately at home I got in a bike accident and broke my leg, so I’m not healed yet. 

“It’s pretty depressing sitting on the side. This is my favourite sport and I’ve learnt a lot from coming here for when I’m back on my feet again.

“It’s a pretty good world that I have, though. I get to help out my team-mates and give them advice they can use in the game.”