Gaynstead, Jose Marti square off in ISSA Netball Urban semi-final
Gaynstead High School netball team Head Coach Dalton Hinds says they should have no problem putting Jose Marti away in one of the two semi-final matches of the 2022 Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Urban Area Under-19 Schoolgirls Netball Competition to take place at the Leila Robinson Courts today.
Gaynstead, who are the defending champions, defeated Tivoli Gardens 57-0 on Wednesday to top Group One by 15 points, looking unstoppable heading into this clash, which is a repeat of last year’s final.
“The team is basically a young one, and they have so far been performing well,” Hinds told the Jamaica Observer. “However, going into the semi-final against Jose Marti, it is about ensuring that we can step up the performance.
“We are not putting down any pressure on the team. It’s just for them to go out there and play our brand of netball, which is exciting netball, and ensuring that we defend, attack, and shoot well, and just enjoy the experience.”
Jose Marti had defeated Norman Manley 46-6 to finish second in Group Two on 12 points, behind St Catherine (15 points), to advance to the semi-final.
“Jose Marti is a very good team that is going to fight,” Hinds said. “They are basically the same team as last year. It is the same team that we played in the final last year. Our chances are just as good as anyone else’s; it is about the ladies going out there, playing with heart.
“They [Gaynstead] know what is at stake in this match and that we are going for the win. We have a tradition of excellence here, and we just want to continue to embrace that.
“We are expecting to play some good netball, and the end result should be a win for Gaynstead. We have it in us to win. We have looked at Jose Marti, and we basically know what they have to offer. They [Gaynstead] are expected to go out there and do their best, and they should be able to come away with a win.”
In the other semi-final, St Hugh’s, the Group One runners-up, will face St Catherine High for a place in the finals.
St Hugh’s defeated Camperdown 30-10 last week to finish on 12 points, while St Catherine topped their group with 15 points.
Based on consistency and performance, St Catherine is expected to get the better of St Hugh’s.
On the same day, the semi-finals of the Under-16 competition will also be played. St Hugh’s will go up against Immaculate, while Norman Manley will take on St Andrew Technical.
The game tips off at 2:30 pm.
