Gibraltar U17s get off to great start with 58-14 victory over Israel U17

It was a new venue for both Gibraltar and Israel after the GSLA installed a portable wooden floor for the Europe Netball under 17 Open Challenge. Host Gibraltar, accustomed to playing at the Tercentenary Sports Hall, had the support of a home crowd that braved the heavy rains experienced across Gibraltar on Thursday afternoon. Israel, arriving under watchful eyes following the conflict in the Middle East, were expected to be the underdogs in the tournament.

Gibraltar opened the scoring early with the first point coming from a quick sweeping move from the start. Some early pressure from Gibraltar’s defense ensured that Israel did not hit back immediately, allowing them to step forward and add a second and then a third within the first few minutes. It was a confident start for Gibraltar. High pressure from the outset left little space for Israel to find fluidity as the home side dominated the early part of the first quarter. Going 4-0 up without Israel having had a single attempt only showcased Gibraltar’s confidence, especially through the center as they intercepted crosses to head for their fifth point. Gibraltar flowed with a similar style to their senior counterparts. Swift passing and good combinations in attack saw Gibraltar widen the gap, going 8-0 ahead with eight minutes left in the first quarter. Israel managed to get their first point with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter and only their third attempt. Gibraltar swiftly took it forward and made it 10-1. Some very confident defending piled the pressure on Israel as Gibraltar’s under 17 team continued to control play. Israel was forced to distribute wide to keep possession in attack as they tried for another point. However, at 11-1 Gibraltar’s defense was well-focused and intercepted the rebound, allowing Gibraltar to once again go forward. Even though Israel blocked well, they still conceded another point as Gibraltar went 12-1 up, soon adding their thirteenth and fourteenth with still two and a half minutes left on the clock for the first quarter to finish. Israel pulled one back after some resilient play upfront and went on to add a third point within the last minute of play. The first quarter finished 15-3 for Gibraltar.

Gibraltar made some changes, giving players a run out and allowing fresh faces on the court. The changes made little negative impact as Gibraltar entered the court, scoring the first two points within minutes. Among one of the players on the court, Shephard Capurro, who has been playing in the U.K. recently, brought in a fresh outlook into the young Gibraltar side. Israel managed to score early on, with the confidence boost of scoring at the end of the first quarter seeing them with greater bounce on the court than at the beginning of the first quarter. What had looked like a clean steamrolling by Gibraltar saw Israel come out with new energy which closed some of the gaps and provided more of a challenge. Gibraltar, however, was on fire with Sciacaluga on top form as Gibraltar went 19-4 ahead. Gibraltar’s midcourt players also formed a high defensive line, intercepting crosses and turning play over in their favor to go 21-4 ahead as they reached midway through the second quarter. Although Israel forced Gibraltar into more passes, some swift passing, use of wide distribution, and very energetic shooters who were intercepting passes saw Gibraltar step further ahead to 24-5 with six minutes still left for halftime. Forcing errors upon Israel and pinning them back, Gibraltar steamed ahead once again to go 27-5 with three minutes left. Changing goalkeepers, Gibraltar added further height at the back, adding to Israel’s woes as Gibraltar collected defensive rebounds and made them work to go 28-5 ahead. Israel equaled their first-quarter points tally with a minute left; however, their attempt to halt Gibraltar had not had that much of an effect, with Gibraltar just a solitary point behind as the second quarter finished 29-7, Israel scoring on the very final whistle for halftime.

Rotating players, especially upfront, Gibraltar’s management team astutely used their players to good effect. Within minutes of the start of the third quarter, Gibraltar was 35-8 ahead before Israel responded. Gibraltar answered back with a further point. Israel added another point after a minor footwork infringement allowed them back on the offensive. However, Gibraltar’s well-disciplined formation with shooters not hindering each other, midcourt pressing high, and creating gaps between defense and forward lines for Israel as passes were delayed, saw Gibraltar add to their points. With five minutes left of the third quarter, Gibraltar was going 39-10 ahead. Gibraltar’s head coach, Janice Moreno, continued to make changes, allowing her team to try out different combinations across the court, as Gibraltar was now well clear from their opponents. This allowed the final quarters to become more of a testing ground under competition play rather than the pressures of a tight encounter. While securing victory and continuing their momentum to ensure goal difference objectives were also met, Gibraltar also prepared for their next matches, which would see them play the Isle of Man, Switzerland, and Northern Ireland. The third quarter was to finish with Gibraltar 43-10 ahead. Again, Israel scoring three points, and credit to them for persevering in trying to stop what was a well-disciplined, confident Gibraltar side.

The team management combination of Janice Moreno and Claire Wilding, although still early days with this being their first match of the tournament, was already showing promise to repeat earlier successes. The management duo having taken the U17 to victory in the past. The fourth quarter was to see Israel scoring early, with Gibraltar having scored two before Israel scored. However, this was a boost for the visitors who came out with some bite in their game to go away with heads held high. There was, nevertheless, no stopping Gibraltar on this first day as they went 49-11 ahead with just over ten minutes left to play. The 50 going up soon after. Things slowed down on the scoring front for a while. Gibraltar adding the points but easing off a bit while Israel continued to aim for their target of three. With three minutes left, the score was 56-14. Some unforced errors will have raised concerns toward the end; however, with the scoreline secure, Gibraltar’s loss of focus was understandable as they eased their pace. Gibraltar missed out on reaching the 60 mark but secured a 58-14 scoreline, setting the tone for the Europe Netball Open Challenge competition.