Our under-12s have two league games a week, plus midweek training.
Our shooters are told to take 150 shots at goal every day of the week; in training, anything up to 200.
‘We’ve been coming to Jersey for the last nine years, and we’ve won the competition six times in all.
We enjoy it here.
But we don’t come to lose.’ However, Bartlett’s praise for Jersey, who lost 13-7 to Turnford A was genuine.
For she couldn’t comprehend how Jersey have maintained such a high standard, at virtual county level, with so few fixtures each year.
‘I’m constantly amazed at the high standard they’re able to maintain although they don’t play regular games outside the Island,’ she said.
‘Having said that, we’ll be back again next year, aiming to beat them again.’ However, Jersey coach Jackie Nelson said: ‘Turnford A played very well.
They were a very physical team.
After we’d lost to them, we knew that we’d have to win all of our other games if we were to have a chance to win the competition.’ Perhaps, if they had beaten Essex, they could have done so, however a 6-3 loss to Essex Maroon meant that they were never going to win the overall competition.
Meanwhile Nelson was upbeat about the way the Jersey teams had played.
‘I thought the way that Jersey Whites played was tremendous.
Their style of play, from defence to attack, showed a flowing, fluid style.
It was as good a standard as senior netball.
‘And this was the first match they’d played against English teams.
Because of that, perhaps they didn’t play the netball they’re capable of.
That’s the problem of living in an Island.
‘But I was proud of them; just as I was of Jersey Reds, because to finish fourth in a tournament like this was a terrific achievement.
‘And for the under-11s, what impressed me most about their play was their commitment to each other.
It couldn’t be faulted.’ Results: 1 Turnford A; 2 Essex Maroon; 3 Jersey Whites; 4 Jersey Reds; 5 Essex Open Blue; 6 Weston Park; 7 Turnford B; 8 Jersey under-11s.
Sunday’s results, English Challenge: Group 1: St Ouen’s Blue.
Group 2: Essex Open Blue.
Jersey Whites: Lauren Rimeur, Lucy Crossman, Louise Pearce, Christelle Favre, Lisa Luce, Imogen Pickering, Laura Harris, Alice Godfrey.
Jersey Reds: Lauren Barnes, Emily Habin, Octavia Bell, Megan Hamilton, Eve Taylor-Cox, Natalie Hellio, Joanne Lee, Hannah Kelly, Catharina Cole.
Under-11s: Kim Pallot, Katie McGinty, Ellie Le Var, Laura Francis, Tali Stevens, Alana Rondel, Robyn Baker, Holly D’Anger, Claudia Fry.
Highland Spring helped support the event.
