U12s perform at nsw tournament

With the amazing sponsorship of the Ana Leaf Foundation, Jersey Netball Development were able to offer the opportunity of playing in a Netball South West U12 Tournament over in the UK. The event run much like a seeding tournament, has given 11 players on the pathway to play for Team Jets so incredibly valuable exposure. 

1st up for the day were Team Bath. Jets converted on the first centre but so do Bath but with some forced errors and fantastic shooting from GS Emily Le Gros and GA Hannah Gladwell with a 100% shooting record from both, Jets quickly established a strong lead and denied Bath any opportunity to score again in the 1st half. With an 8 v 1 lead Jets were able to make 3 changes to freshen legs. Timing of attacking move which hadn’t been slick was improved 2nd half but Bath utilised their tall GA to maintain better possession to start opening up more shooting opportunities. Jets however kept up the pressure with C Layla Dos Santos adding to her interception tally and ensuring Jets won 15 v 4
 
2nd game v TTNC Griffin Pink a bit of a wobbly game with Jets allowing their opposition too much space. However with TTNC struggling to finish their shooting opportunities Jets were able to take a lead as their shots found the net bar one. Half time saw a change of players and with  Hannah Gladwell continuing to show steady movement from her half time arrival,  Jets created chances to score and won 7 v 3. A good learning curve for the young side to keep going and it was really the shooting accuracy that allowed Jets the win.
 
3rd game v Exeter fantastic shooting again really gave Jets the edge in this game. With lots of tips and interceptions, Jets also learnt from the previous game and were a defensively tighter on their players. WD Kiara Gordinho worked tirelessly to track her player and created many chances for her team to extend their lead as C Ciara Bavington did exceptionally well to dictate the speed of the game and fed the circle with great timing and ball placement. This all combined to allow Jets to win 12 v 2. The score not reflecting the missed opportunities for Exeter.
 
4th game v Titans Meteors GS Olivia Kerley showed again fantastic accuracy as she had a 100% shooting record for the whole game. Brilliant defence from GK Millie Gunasekara denied Titans shooting opportunity and only allowed them to score 1 goal in 1st half of the game. With improved defence across the court there were a greater number of tips recorded for this game from everyone, however Jets had 3 unforced errors in the second half allowing Titans to score showing a need to maintain focus. Jets however won 12 v 4.
 
5th game v Galmington after a bit of a break Jets were a bit wobbly and again had errors creeping in. Co-Captain Hope Jordan however clocked up a number of Interceptions to rally her team. Again Jets shooting in the 1st half means the game looks more one sided than it was with the young side taking an early lead. GA Erin Duffy showed excellent split landings as she created opportunities for Jets to score. GK Tali Bavington piled on the pressure in the opposite shooting circle and the outcome of the game was an 11 v 1 win though in the 2nd half Jets started to miss a few shooting chances.
 
6th game v Penzance with renewed focus Jets showed better flow in their final group game and capitalised on the oppositions errors only allowing then a few shooting opportunities which they were unable to finish. With an 8 goal lead at half time, changes were again made as GK Daisy Dunn piled on the pressure to allow her team to win 19 v 2.
 
Semi-finals v Huccelcote. Jets started strongly but the pressure of a larger audience meant shooting chances were missed Hannah Gladwell however showed strong nerves as she scored all her shots. Multiple tips from WD Kiara Gordinho and GD Daisy Dunn however kept Jets’ nose in front. With a 7 v 3 lead at half time coaches Perkins and Mills warned their side that Hucclecote would come and strongly and the prediction was right. Huccelcote indeed hit the ground running and Jets found themselves only 1 goal ahead. With tips not making their way to Jets hands it was a nail biting last 7 minutes but the team linked enough to gain a 2 goal lead before edging out a 10 v 7 win. 
 
Finals – The big win against Hucclecote in a tight game left Jets perhaps a little more tired than their Final game opposition TTNC Griffin Blue who had an easier semi-final game. Jets started well however and took an early lead before a couple of held balls allowed TTNC to draw level at the half time break. With requests for tighter defence and more accurate passing, Jets went back out to try and win the game but with loose balls and too many obstruction calls, TTNC showed great strength and determination to take a strong lead. Their GD shut down many feeds into the Jets circle and helped her team to a 7 v 12 win.
 
Coach Taryn Perkins: “Great team spirit showed throughout the day and we were particularly impressed with the shooting accuracy that we managed to reach today. Having 3 shooters reach 100% stats for at least a quarter was incredibly impressive. The young side has learnt a great deal today and we are incredibly proud of every single one of them. 2nd in a regional tournament is a fantastic result and the experiences they have had today will be invaluable as they move up to Under 14 level next season. We are incredibly grateful to the Ana Leaf Foundation for this opportunity.”
 
Squad:
 
Co-Captains Hope Jordan and Talia Bavington
Ciara Bavington
Daisy Dunn
Emily Le Gros
Erin Duffy
Hannah Gladwell
Kiara Gordinho
Layla Dos Santos
Millie Gunasekara
Olivia Kerley
 
Umpire Michelle Bougeard