Netball: Singapore go down 39-49 to Wales and miss out on Nations Cup final

Story by REDintern Sherry Lim. Photos by Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports

Toa Payoh Sports Hall, Friday, December 10, 2010 — Singapore fell 39-49 to Wales on Day Five of the Netball Nations Cup to leave them with two wins and two losses. Singapore are now out of the running for the final.

The game started off with both teams evenly matched in the first 15 minutes with Singapore’s GS Tan Hui Yan’s 100% shooting with eight successful attempts helping to give her team a slim one-point 12-11 lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Wales’ attacks grew more intense, forcing Singapore to make shorter passes to maintain control possession of the ball. The score was tied 22-22 at the end of the second quarter.

Wales switched their GS and GA players in the second half and their stepped-up attacks and swifter passes gave them a five-point 36-31 lead at the end of the third.

The pressure of playing catch up got to the Singapore team and they went down 39-49.

“We were in there and then suddenly we weren’t,” said Singapore’s Coach Kate Carpenter. “Wales made some changes at the halftime break and then we slipped behind. We had our chances but we couldn’t forge ahead. As a result, the gap opened towards the end.”

“I am still not completely happy with the finishing product but we’ll take the win,” commented Wales coach Melissa Hyndman. “We made it hard for ourselves. However, Singapore played very well. We knew they would do the basics well and they did do that. I am quite happy with the substitution I made with some players coming off the bench.”

“It will come down to tomorrow’s matches and it’s going to be interesting. It will be tough (against Scotland) but it would be a similar sort of game as we played tonight,” she continued.

For more photos, go to the next page.