Trinidad and Tobago beat Barbados after intense first half in NWYC2025

Trinidad and Tobago opened the scoring almost immediately against Barbados, starting strongly and moving into a 5–2 lead against a side they knew well. Barbados had come in as favourites, having finished above Trinidad and Tobago in the qualifiers.

It took Barbados some time to settle, clawing back to stay in touch at 6–5. The nerves were evident in this exciting encounter between two teams so familiar with each other. Barbados levelled at 7–7, before the game tightened further to 8–8, Trinidad and Tobago striking first each time. Fans were treated to another fascinating contest, with styles of play very different to those often seen in European netball.

The quarter remained evenly poised, Barbados levelling at 9–9 with two minutes left, before it moved to 10–10. Trinidad and Tobago edged ahead 11–10 with just 14 seconds left, only for Barbados to equalise on the buzzer at 11–11. The tiny margins between the sides made for a surprising and entertaining first quarter.

With everything still to play for, both coaches kept faith with their starting line-ups for the second quarter. It began just as the first had ended, both sides trading goals. Trinidad and Tobago seized the first real advantage, capitalising on a turnover and their centre pass to lead 15–12. They maintained control to move 17–14 ahead and then stretched their lead to 20–15 midway through the quarter.

Barbados were stalled on 15 for some time as Trinidad and Tobago pushed on to 22. Struggling to get into shooting positions, Barbados finally broke through with a long-range effort, but by halftime the scoreboard showed 25–19 in favour of Trinidad and Tobago — a body blow for Barbados, who had fought hard but failed to convert consistently under the post.

Barbados opened the second half with intent, scoring from the first centre pass, but Trinidad and Tobago replied immediately and kept the gap intact. A costly turnover from Barbados allowed their opponents to extend the lead to seven, soon stretched to eight. Barbados made changes as they slipped further behind, 34–24 with eight minutes left in the third quarter.

Trinidad and Tobago, strong in attack, hit a milestone with their 35th goal of the game, marking their 2,000th goal in World Youth Cup competition. They quickly followed with another to open an 11-goal lead. Barbados pulled three back, but Trinidad and Tobago restored their cushion at 37–27. Even under pressure from fresh Barbados substitutions, they held a ten-goal lead, extending it to 41–30 by the end of the quarter.

The fourth quarter began with Trinidad and Tobago in full flow, racing to a 46–30 lead within the first four minutes. Barbados found themselves in disarray, with players colliding and misplacing passes, handing their opponents further opportunities. Only strong defensive efforts prevented the gap from widening further.

Having endured morale-sapping defeats against Malawi and South Africa earlier in the competition, Trinidad and Tobago produced a spirited bounce-back, leading 50–31 with seven minutes left. The match also highlighted good officiating, with one umpire pausing to consult his colleague and bench officials before issuing a warning to a Barbados player — a decision that could otherwise have led to a harsher sanction.

By the midway point of the final quarter, Trinidad and Tobago had done enough to secure victory. Barbados managed only one goal in the first seven minutes of the quarter and added a second in the closing stages, but it was too little, too late.

Trinidad and Tobago sealed a commanding 58–33 win, a result that restored their confidence and demonstrated their resilience.