Pride of place

National netball captain Latonia Blackman led Guardian General Pride of Villa in a Division 1 baptism of UWI Blackbirds when action continued at the Netball Stadium on Friday night.
On a night of annoying drizzles, Blackman scored a match-high 28 goals from 31 attempts for Villa to win 40-35 and hand Blackbirds defeat after the UWI team won promotion without losing a game last season. 
However, the persistent drizzles and the damp court did not allow play of sustained quality as Villa utilized long balls and superior players to methodically take the game.  
UWI’s captain Monique James looked out of sorts. Her role as goal shooter was handed to Mechelle Liburd after a non-productive 0-6 first quarter. 
James spent the rest of the game on the bench with six-footer Barbados player Faye Sealy tormenting whoever attempted to score on Villa.  
The experience of former St Barnabas player Damisha Croney at wing attack in feeding the ball to her shooters had seen UWI getting greater chances to score.
But the defence of Sealy on one end and the accuracy of Blackman at the other saw Villa finally taking and never relinquishing the lead at 7-6. 
Villa led 10-7, 21-13 and 32-24, with their biggest jump occurring in the second quarter after goal shoot Kelly-Ann Knight scored her first goal after six attempts. She ended with 12 from 22.
While Villa stuck to their six with captain Makeba Clarke along with Nadia Blackman, Delicia Murrell and Kamillah Burke controlling the mid court, UWI tried to find a solution to regain some balance or advantage on the scoreboard.
Switching Croney to goal attack and Liburd to goal shoot brought some returns with Liburd sinking 24 of 36 attempts while Croney used plenty of flair in hitting 11 of 21. 
However, swapping the aggressive goalkeeper Alicia Harding with goal defence Jehlesal Brathwaite still was not enough to halt the consistency and accuracy of Latonia Blackman.
With Pride of Villa showing that they could be play-off contenders, the Blackbirds will now have to focus on queens C.O.W. Rangers, Pine Hill St Barnabas and Spooner’s Hill to edge one of that big trio for one of the four play-off spots.