By Carolyn Johnson, Star Writer

Samantha Barrett (right), Bridgeport's goal keep, tries to block Queen's shooter Kimberley Manning during the final of the ISSA/Digicel Urban Schoolgirl U-16 Netball Competition at the Leila Robinson courts yesterday. Queen's won 19-13.

Dunoon took first place in the senior group of the 2006 ISSA/Digicel Urban Schoolgirl Netball finals, which culminated at the Leila Robinson courts yesterday. The team succeeded after defeating St. Hugh's 24-21, while The Queen's School beat Bridgeport 19-13 to be crowned Junior champions.

In the third place play-offs, Ardenne beat St. Hugh's 15-14 in the Junior group, while Tarrant shot past Wolmer's 21-19 in senior action.

It was an afternoon filled with excitement, laughter and a few tears, but among the booing, cheering and near fight was the accusation of poor umpiring by one coach and one team.

"From I hear the umpire selection I know Bridgeport wouldn't win and Dunoon was going to win the match," Phillip Williams, coach of the Bridgeport team complained after the senior finals. He alleged that a member of Queen's staff umpired the senior match.

"This match was poorly umpired, calls were made for one team and not for the other. Advances were made for Dunoon and not St. Hugh's, and obstructions were blown for St. Hugh's and not Dunoon," he said. "Next time they should use two outside umpires to do the match."

Aggressive game

Sandrine Linton (left), captain of Dunoon's winning team poses with her teammates and the winners trophy. Dunoon won the ISSA/Digicel Urban Schoolgirl U-19 competition yesterday by beating St. Hugh's 24-21 at the Leila Robinson courts. - Norman Grindley photos

Captain of the St. Hugh's senior team, Afrika Morris, also had problems with the umpires for her match. "I think it [the game] was good because we played well, to the best of our ability. From my point of view, the umpires were against us. The team played well, but at the end of the day, the umpire's call counts," Morris said.

But while Morris was upset about the umpiring, many of the calls made against her team was for contracts from the defence, who played an aggressive game.

When asked about his opinion of the umpires, winning coach C. Lloyd Walker, pointed no fingers.

"I'm an umpire (too) and I think at this level the calls can go either way. I will get mad, but if a call is made on a certain rule, I tell my players to stay on wire. Rather than blame the umpire, I blame the player. The umpires who did the game are two of the top umpires," he said.

The senior final match was the most exciting match of the day, and possibly the entire season, as both teams were evenly matched throughout the game and were matching each other shot for shot until Dunoon pulled away with a three-point lead seconds before the final whistle.

St. Hugh's goal attack Kera Christie scored 20 goals from 28 attempts while her teammate Dahlia Swaby got one from four. Meanwhile, Dunoon's Crystal Gordon made 23 from 30 attempts, while her teammate Jody Ann Foreman made one goal from her only attempt.

Despite the accusations being hurled, organisers of the competition believe nothing was done incorrectly.

"What do they mean by outside umpires," Joan Walker, one of the coordinators asked.

"Neutral umpires did the match. JNA umpires. They don't have affiliation to any schools. They are JNA umpires," she clarified.