England U17 puts 80 past ROI U17 whilst Scotland U17 and UAE U17 share in 107 point thriller

Friday afternoon saw some top netball action at both the Europa Sports Complex and Tercentenary Sports Hall.

At Europa, England started their Europe Netball Under 17 Championship campaign with an emphatic win over the Republic of Ireland. Meanwhile, at the Tercentenary Sports Hall, both the UAE and Scotland warmed up the atmosphere before Gibraltar's next match with a tight contest. Scotland pulled away in the final quarter, defeating the UAE's U17 in a match that provided over 100 points shared tightly between the two teams.

England did not hesitate to show their superiority on the court from early on as they opened their campaign against the Republic of Ireland. The latter, who had played earlier in the morning against Scotland at the Tercentenary Sports Hall, faced England at the Europa Sports Complex just five hours later. This proved to be a tough start for their campaign in the top tier of European netball.

Stuck at four points for the better part of the second half, the Republic of Ireland watched as England got closer and closer to notching 30 points before halftime arrived. With six minutes left in the second quarter, the Republic of Ireland had scored six points but had already conceded thirty. Outpaced, out-jumped, and chasing the game, it was an opening day for the Republic of Ireland that they might have wished to be different. However, with the UAE and Wales still to play, this was a steep learning curve for them.

England, the last in the Championship division to play, provided enough proof as to why they are considered among the favorites to lift the title. With the prospect of one day wearing the England colors at the senior level, the England Under 17s weren't just playing for the Championship trophy, but also to be among the players selectors could be looking towards for next year's World Youth Championships and on the selectors' sights in the pathway to senior level.

England finished with a 35-8 lead at halftime, very much on the pathway to a high scoreline. They did not ease the pace in the third quarter, extending their lead to 43-8 with still nine minutes of the third quarter to play. By the end of the third quarter, England was leading 59-11. It did not take England long to score their sixtieth point, ultimately finishing with an 81-14 scoreline, underlining their dominance.

The Tercentenary Sports Hall saw one of the tightest first halves in the Championship division on Friday afternoon with the UAE facing Scotland. Although beaten by Wales earlier in the day, the United Arab Emirates put up a challenge for Scotland, matching their opponents and finishing halftime with Scotland having just a five-point lead at 32-26.

It was still anyone's game at halftime, with Scotland boosted by the early morning victory against the Republic of Ireland but being held by the UAE. The UAE fought back from the start of the third quarter, trying to reduce the gap. A fast-moving, physical match ensued, with the scoreline at 29-34 in favor of Scotland after just a few minutes of play. As Scotland threatened to pull away, the UAE continued to try and pull back, keeping the pressure on.

Scotland did extend their lead to 40-31 midway through the third quarter, soon taking it to 43-31. They benefited from making the best out of the many turnovers they were winning, while the UAE faltered in the final third. It wasn't until Scotland led 45-31 that the UAE added a point to their tally.

The third quarter finished with Scotland leading 50-35, dominating the scoreboard, although the UAE did not give up hope. The fourth quarter remained tight, with Scotland having the clear advantage after pulling away in the third quarter, securing their lead and ending with a 62-45 victory over the UAE. Despite their defeat, the UAE maintained a persistent approach, finishing with a respectable points margin.