Sports School beat MGS 32-20 to win C Division netball title

Story by reader Erwin Wong. Photos by Marvin Lowe.

Bedok Sports Hall, Friday, April 17, 2009 - The last time Singapore Sports School played Methodist Girls' School in a C Division netball match, the latter had three first team players sidelined due to injury and lost 13-25 in a Nationals 1st round match.

They met again today, this time in the grand final, and with MGS back at full strength, their opponents figured that a more difficult matchup awaited them. "They had 3 players short the previous time, and so we knew today would be tougher fight," said Singapore Sports School Goal Attack Nur Amelia. Not so. Sports School prevailed again, maintaining the 12-point margin of victory in a 32-20 outcome that landed them their second C Division netball title in four years.

Sports School took the game by the scruff of the neck right from the get-go, scoring through Goal Shooter Olivia Chen, but the injury bug once again bit MGS as Goal Defence Priya Annad fell over in the build up to the goal, and had to be escorted off the court with a suspected torn knee ligament.

The game was less than 10 seconds young, and MGS faced an even steeper obstacle than they envisaged.

"She is a strong defender who is good in making interceptions, and we were shocked when it happened, but changes had to be made as the game had to go on," said MGS captain and Goal Attack Kayisa Tan.

The game did carry on and Sports School continued to stamp their class all over the match, defending stoutly as their starting defensive quartet of Amanina (Centre), Tasneem (Wing Defence), Beverly Yeo (Goal Defence) and Nabilah (Goal Keeper) shadowed and shackled their opposite numbers resolutely, forcing scores of MGS turnovers which were converted into numerous scoring opportunities. And when they had possession, Sports School advanced the ball up the court with lightning-quick efficiency, and were almost always a step ahead all the time. The facts were laid starkly for all to see: MGS had 26 shot attempts, while their opponents more than doubled it with 53.

"Our opponents were bigger-sized than us, and they gave us no space at all," said MGS coach Miss Tham Wai Yee. "They defended very hard and were physical, which is how the game should be played."

Sports School led 7-2 after the first quarter, and though MGS reduced the deficit to three with a brace from Goal Shooter Esther Cheah and one from Kayisa, their opponents responded with their own 3-0 run to stem the tide, and carried a 12-6 lead into the half-time interval.

They turned the screws on MGS in the third period. Tabitha Ong replaced Amanina at Centre and immediately carried on where the latter left off, hustling a near-lost cause which led to GS Elizabeth Huang's conversion.

Esther (13/15) and Kayisa (7/11) did their level best to ensure that MGS stayed in the game with their high-percentage shot conversions, but they couldn't muster consistent defensive stops on Sports School, as last year's 2nd runners-up threatened to run riot. They scored 5 unanswered points midway through the quarter which handed them a 20-8 lead, on their way to a 24-12 advantage after three quarters.

They extended that lead to 15 twice in the final period, as Amelia continued to elude her defender with intelligent runs and got into advantageous shooting positions. MGS fought gamely and plodded on despite the brick walls of Sports School defenders they ran into, and Kayisa managed to cut the lead back down to 12 just as the final whistle sounded.

Said Kayisa after the game: "After the third quarter, our coach told us to go out and finish the game well, and that the score did not matter. We were definitely encouraged when we heard our supporters cheer for us. They have given their time to come down and cheer for our team whenever we are playing, and we are in the finals because of them."

"The team is sad to have lost, but we are happy that we have gone this far," Kayisa added, referring to a campaign that has seen four of their five victories in the run-up to the final coming from single-digit wins, culminating in their first National final appearance since 1998.

The Sports School team celebrated with pizza after their win, but victory certainly tasted sweeter.

"We were steady today and we worked well as a team," said Amelia. "We aimed to do our best coming into this match. Making the final was a good achievement already, and winning would be a bonus."

In a third and fourth place match played earlier, Raffles Girls' School beat Ang Mo Kio Secondary 33-18.

Scoring breakdown by quarter
MGS v Sports School
1st Q: 2-7
2nd Q: 4-5
3rd Q: 6-12
4th Q: 8-8
Final score: 20-32

Shooting accuracy
MGS: 20/26 (76.9%)
Sports School: 32/53 (60.3%)

MGS Lineup
GS: Esther Cheah
GA: Kayisa Tan
WA: Sheryl Chew
C: Maeghan Lee
WD: Christabel Yong (1st Q), Joy Heng (1st-4th Q)
GD: Priya Annad (1st Q), Christabel Yong (1st-2nd Q), Loh Ten Yee (3rd-4th Q)
GK: Loh Ten Yee (1st-2nd Q), Tan Xinyi (3rd-4th Q)

Sports School Lineup
GS: Olivia Chen (1st Q), Liz Chew (2nd Q), Elizabeth Hwang (3rd-4th Q)
GA: Nur Amelia
WA: Wong Yuan Min (1st, 4th Q), Nuraishah (2nd Q), Amanina (3rd Q)
C: Amanina (1st-2nd Q), Tabitha Ong (3rd-4th Q)
WD: Tasneem Hardie (1st-2nd Q), Beverly Yeo (3rd Q), Nuraishah (4th Q)
GD: Beverly Yeo (1st-2nd Q), Siti Nameera (3rd Q), Zahara Bte Johan (4th Q)
GK: Nabilah (1st-3rd Q), Olivia Chen (4th Q)

NB: Redsports thanks the students from the respective schools for getting us the lineups.