Three teams of talented athletes from across our Performance Pathway took to the court on Saturday, a first for Netball Scotland. The event opener was an Exhibition Match between the Strathclyde Sirens and Netball World Cup squad athletes, followed by a stellar performance for our Scotland (A) team against the Republic of Ireland.
A team which featured 12 players from our Under 17, Under 21 and Scottish Thistles squads, displayed great skill and fitness going up against an experienced Irish side.
Scotland (A) started the match with the following line up: GS – Emma Barrie, GA – Lynsey Gallagher, WA – Emma Love, C – Rebecca Metcalfe, WD – Savannah Antoinne, GD – Rebecca Edgar, GK – Sarah MacPhail. Under the leadership of Lead Coach Jill Anderson and Assistant Coach Lesley MacDonald, a strong start gave Scotland (A) the upper hand from the get go, with a three goal lead at the end of the opening quarter (16-13). 16 would become Scotland (A)’s magic number, the average number of goals per quarter which was no match to Ireland’s 10 (half time: 31-22, third quarter: 47-29, full time: 64-40). Congratulations to mid courter Rebecca Metcalfe who was awarded Scotland’s Player of the Match, chosen by Strathclyde Sirens Lead Coach Gail Parata and Assistant Coach Sharyn Lyon.
All 12 players made an impact in the game, gaining valuable match experience in front of a loud crowd. The purpose of this game was to provide those aiming to win a spot in the Scotland’s NWC 2019 line up, the chance to impress our National Technical Team and further develop the skills and tactics learned at training. For us, this event was a huge success and we look forward to putting on additional showcase matches in the future.
Thank you to our event sponsors, Edinburgh City Council, host venue Oriam for another great weekend of netball, and to the fans for travelling to Edinburgh to support our developing athletes. The biggest thanks however goes to our event volunteers, both on and off of the court who work tirelessly to support Netball Scotland in the delivery of our matches.
The Scotland (A) team with match ball patrol from Davidson’s Mains Primary School in Edinburgh.
