Young Sarnians keep calm to win

PLAYER-COACH Sonia Grant-Yendell has hailed her young team for their efforts in the face of ill discipline by Sussex in their latest national league south region match. Guernsey edged to a 46-38 win at Caterham School near Gatwick, but shooter Grant-Yendell was glad to get off court and away.

'They were very indisciplined and unsportsmanlike... very unprofessional,' said the coach who shrugged off their opponents' claims that one of the umpires was biased towards the island side.

Grant-Yendell said she was proud of the way her young team performed.

'We were pressured. I was really pleased with the discipline of my team.

'They gave me 110%.'

Guernsey fielded a team including four under-18s and one of 18.

Youngsters Kerri Brown (16), Zola Bourgaize (17), Lyndsey Bougourd (16), Amy Wright (15) and Gemma Loveridge (18) were guided through by old hands Grant-Yendell and defender Lorna Brown.

'It was a hard win. . . really hard,' said the player-coach.

'They had a 6ft 4in. GS and that was quite daunting for us.'

Despite that, Guernsey led from the first quarter and held on against a side which lay second in the table at the end of 2005.

Guernsey have now won three and lost two, one of which was a concession when they were unable to travel to the UK.

'We've now beaten the top two teams in the league.

Assistant coach Gill Queripel watched the game from the sideline and admitted the behaviour of the Sussex side was not good.

'They kept being blown up by our umpire and they wouldn't learn from it.

'They were getting frustrated that they weren't getting away with what they normally do.'

Each side is expected to provide an umpire and with Guernsey being short of the suitably qualified officials, they call on UK officials to help.

'We get umpires in from the UK and this is the second time we have used Dorothy Bryan from the Kent Club.

'You have to play to the umpire and they didn't,' said Queripel.