Going for gold! Dazzling Diamonds shatter Jamaica’s World Cup dreams

Talking Points: Diamonds coach’s big admission after shock loss as England gamble pays off

QUARTER BY QUARTER MATCH REPORT

STARTING SEVEN: GS Koenen, GA Wood, WA Watson, C Hadley, WD Brazill, GD Weston, GK Bruce

It was Steph Wood who got Australia on the board first when she found space on the baseline.

And a simple midcourt turnover from the Sunshine Girls gifted the Diamonds another opportunity – one Cara Koenen converted.

“A solid start for the Diamonds,” commentator Sue Gaudion praised.

But Jamaica’s defensive pressure won the ball back as Wood misread a Koenen dodge and threw the ball over the baseline and scores were levelled.

The Diamonds had a “get out of jail” moment midway through the term when Koenen looked to throw the ball out, but luckily Liz Watson was able to reel it in with millimetres to spare.

But when Wood couldn’t get her shot to drop, Jamaica took the lead for the first time in the match.

The Sunshine Girls couldn’t make the most of an offensive contact call on Watson, when they coughed up possession in the midcourt.

And when Shanice Beckford was penalised for a replay, the Aussies were able to reclaim the lead.

A big midcourt collision rocked four players as Jo Weston, Liz Watson, Latanya Wilson and Khadijah Wilson crashed heavily into each other.

Luckily all four were able to return to their feet and play on.

Jamaican centre Nicole Rochester-Dixon was the first player handed a warning in the semi final for deliberate obstruction.

“You’ve just got to be careful – you’re playing in a semi-final and you don’t want your team at a disadvantage,” commentator Simone Forbes said.

By quarter time, scores were level at 14-all.

The Diamonds continued to lack connection in attack as the ball was forced cross-court and back to the transverse repeatedly.

But again the Sunshine Girls couldn’t make Australia pay when Wood missed another shot on goal, as Weston was able to get a deflection and Koenen made no mistake with her shot.

“Oh gee that was contact!” Gaudion lamented of Weston’s physical challenge.

“(The umpire) was blinded by the light!”

Koenen was able to pull in a big rebound over the top of star Shamera Sterling, and when Jhaniele Fowler had her first miss of the night, Courtney Bruce got Australia on the front foot and out to a three-goal lead.

And when the Sunshine Girls needed someone to stand up, it was Sterling who won the ball back with her challenge from behind Koenen.

“One of the greatest superstars in the game came up with it!” Gaudion praised.

And when Wood coughed up the offensive penalty, Jamaica levelled scores once again with the centre pass to come.

By half time, there was still nothing to separate the two sides at 29-all.

Jamie-Lee Price was injected at centre in the only change for the Diamonds to start the third term.

And it was Bruce who had her first intercept when Fowler tried to pass off to Beckford to allow Australia to once again take the lead.

A wayward ball from Rochester-Dixon to Fowler coughed up another Jamaica turnover as the Diamonds opened up their biggest margin of the game at four goals.

The change came with Latanya Wilson moving into goal defence and Jodi-Ann Ward heading to the bench.

Bruce again got the deflection to help Australia push out to a six-goal lead, with Ward returning out to wing defence.

“There’s a bit of freedom out in the Diamonds attack end,” Gaudion said.

“There’s a bit of panic, some hesitation from Jamaica,” commentator Madison Browne added.

But when Koenen missed her first goal for the match, Sterling claimed the rebound and helped her side close to within four.

When the Diamonds forced the pass in to Koenen, it didn’t pay off as the ball trickled over the baseline.

A huge Gareth Fowler call left the Sunshine Girls dismayed as the umpire opted against penalising Liz Watson for contact and pulled Shanice Beckford for stepping.

“You are kidding me!” Gaudion said.

“Beckford thought the whistle had gone, as she carried on the ball she stepped.

“Basically pleading with the umpire!

“That was crazy!!”

The Diamonds opted for a double change in defence with Sarah Klau and Sunday Aryang injected at GD and WD respectively late in the term.

But it mattered little as the Sunshine Girls’ defence won back more ball and Fowler converted to level scores with 70 seconds to play in the term.

A late double to Steph Wood ensured it was Australia who pulled ahead 42-40 at the final change.

Sterling won back more ball for her side and ensured it was Jamaica who took the lead early in the last term, with Brazill back on the court.

But the star Jamaican goal keeper was handed a caution for a late challenge that saw Koenen crash to the court.

“Absolutely dangerous!” Gaudion lamented.

Another huge call from umpire Gareth Fowler gifted Koenen another goal as she was deemed to have possession over Sterling on the rebound.

But when the Sunshine Girls’ defence left the Diamonds with nowhere to go in attack, the held ball call came and Jamaica were up by three.

Weston returned to the court for Klau as it became “pressure city” for the Diamonds with less than 10 minutes to play.

A great intercept from Brazill came when Australia needed it. But again they were slow and stilted in attack, forced into more than six passes just to get the shot away.

The two sides traded blows before Bruce pulled in the big intercept for her side once again.

And when Beckford couldn’t hang onto the ball when the Wilson pass came in too low in a bid to avoid a looming Bruce, the Diamonds opened up a three-goal lead with less than two minutes on the clock.

“Just the pressure from the sideline and Bruce, (Beckford) just fumbling over the sideline,” Browne lamented.

“Bruce has been outstanding in this second half.”

Australia then hung on in the dying seconds to make it through to meet England in the gold medal match.

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