GOLD COAST, Australia – Beleaguered Barbados crashed to their third defeat when they lost to Northern Ireland, 49-39, in Pool A at the Commonwealth Games here Tuesday.
Hoping to regain their balance after being flogged by Australia in their opening match and then again by Caribbean neighbours Jamaica on Monday, Barbados squandered a 24-20 half-time lead, to suffer yet another blow to their preliminary round campaign.
Goal shooter Shonica Wharton led her side with 27 goals from 29 attempts while goal attack Latonia Blackman chipped in with nine from 12.
For the Irish, goal shooter Lisa Bowman led the scoring with 20 from 25 attempts, with Noleen Lennon, also at goal shooter, supporting with 15 from 16.
The first half was quite even as Barbados trailed by just one, 11-12, at the end of the opening quarter before outscoring their opponents 13-8 in the second period to establish a four-point lead at the halfway stage.
However, they faltered badly in the second half as Northern Ireland got the better of the exchanges in the third stanza, 10-5, to eke out a slender one-point advantage, 30-29, at the start of the final quarter.
Any hopes Barbados had of making a late charge were stymied, however, as the Irish dominated the scoring, 19-10, to run out easy winners.
The Caribbean side wrap up their preliminary campaign with a clash against South Africa on Wednesday. (CMC)
