T&T netballers were expected to come up against Samoa for the second time in four days, but this time for ninth spot when the final day of matches at the 14th Netball World Cup passed off last night at the Allphones Arena, Sydney Park, Sydney, Australia.
When both teams met in the Second Eight Pool G clash, T&T, led by Samantha Wallace's 49 goals from 59 attempts and coasted to a 67-47 win.
On Saturday in their ninth to 12th semifinal, the world tenth-ranked Calypso Girls defeated Scotland by one goal in a thrilling extra-time contest at Netball Central on Saturday, 57-56 after a 43-all score at the end of regulation time.
The heroine for the Joelisa Cooper-captained T&T was goal shooter Wallace, who ended with 49 goals from 54 attempts, including nine of her team's ten goals in the 14-minute extra-time period to seal a fifth straight win at the tournament after a 0-2 start in Pool A, losing to finalists, defending champions Australia and second ranked New Zealand.
It was a strong start for the Thistles who applied the pressure early, repeatedly intercepting and chasing every ball. The determination from both teams was evident with goals exchanging from end to end.The 21-year-old Wallace, appearing in her first World Cup was the shooting target for the Calypso Girls in the first term, maintaining her composure under immense defensive pressure and scoring 11 goals from 12 attempts.
The intensity and pace of the game was clear and had Scottish mid-courter Claire Brownie leading the momentum midway through the first term.
However, a strong finish from T&T with Cooper adding two goals from three attempts,allowed the Calypso Girls to take a one-goal lead into the first break, 13-12.Centre-court player Candice Guerero and goal defence Kielle Connelly were convincing in the T&T defence, limiting Scotland's scoring opportunities to just 11.
At the other end of the court, defender Rachel Forbes put her body on the line for the Thistles, with four intercepts for the quarter.After a dominant display early in the second quarter, the Calypso Girls took a five-goal lead into the half-time break, 26-21 with Wallace scoring a further ten from 12 and Cooper, three from as many attempts.
However, it was all about Scotland in the third period, the Thistles dominating play over a tired T&T unit.Shooter Lynsey Gallagher spearheaded the Thistles' resurgence early in the third term, reducing T&T's lead to just one goal at the first injury timeout five minutes into play.
Scotland continued their dominant performance in the third quarter, outscoring the Calypso Girls 16-7 to take a four-goal lead into the final session. However, T&T responded with a purple patch in the final term with their composure under pressure and 14 of 15 shooting from Wallace allowing for a 14-10 domination of Scotland.
After the final 15 minutes of play, the two could not be separated with scores locked at 47-all, both desperate to secure the win.Cooper inspired her T&T team to take a one-goal lead at the end of the first extra time period, 53-52 and after the do-or-die second extra time period, T&T, behind Wallace's nine goals were able to secure the victory by one goal, 56-57.
Wallace finished with 49 goals from 54 attempts, Cooper added six from nine and Kalifa Mc Collin, two from two while Gallagher led Scotland with 31 from 40 attempts, inclusive of all nine in extra-time for her team.Lashley Mac Donald also chipped in with 19 from 21, and Gemma Sole six of seven for the losers.
Speaking after the match, Cooper said, "I'm really emotional right now. All we wanted to do was to win, so the mindset was to push harder and to push more. Just one more goal we needed."With regards to playing Samoa, the T&T captain and veteran of three World Cups said, "We have played them before so we know what it takes and we just need to move the ball and to move our feet."
The Samoans booked their place against T&T with a 54-51 victory over Fiji and goal shooter, co-captain Juliana Naoupu-Laban speaking ahead of the T&T match said, "We have seen T&T is very aerial but I can tell you they are just like a Jamaican team so it's back to basics with those guys. Get the ball speed going," she said.
Fiji and Scotland will do battle for 11th to 12th spot.Today in the final, world top-ranked and ten-time champions Australia, faces neighbours and second ranked New Zealand.The Australia Diamonds, defeating fourth ranked Jamaican Sunshine Girls 67-56 while four-time champions, New Zealand, the only team to beat the host at this year's event so far, outclassed third ranked England, 50-39.
Prior to the gold medal match, England and Jamaica will face off for bronze while in the other playoff matches, South Africa and Malawi meet for fifth; Uganda and Wales tangle for sixth; Barbados faces Zambia for 13th and Singapore and Sri Lanka contest the 15th spot playoff.