Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
IN WHAT could only be described as a thrilling encounter, General Accident came from behind to clip the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) 30-32 in the Open League final of the Business House Netball knockout competition last Saturday night at the Leila Robinson Courts.
In front of a capacity crowd, both teams fought tooth and nail for every possession and this made the match a thoroughly entertaining affair.
Spearheading the General Accident comeback bid, goal shooter Margaret Lawrence had a 24-30 shooting night.
She was aided in her cause by coach and captain of the team and goal attack Oberon Pitterson, who had an 8-9 shooting performance.
The winner-take-all showdown saw a determined BNS team power out of the blocks. The red and whites seemed intent on wrenching the crown away from the defending champions.
High percentage shooting from goal shooter Suzzette Desouza, who was red hot with 22-23 shooting an approximately 95 per cent conversion rate, coupled with very accurate passing throughout the game were very clear signals of their intent.
In a fast-paced first half shoot-out the BNS team came out the better of the two and held a two-point 18-16 lead heading into the second period. But the game was far from over.
"We were tentative in the first half," Pitterson, who is also the national team captain, explained. "But we thought that if we picked up our intensity on both ends of the floor we would have a good chance of winning the game."
This chance of winning the game would not come until two minutes from time. The second half was really a tug-war of wills with the lead continuously changing hands. But with time running out, much to the delight of their fans, it was General Accident who surged ahead.
They inched ahead by a single goal on the two-minute mark and then put the game out of reach following a key BNS miss with about a minute to go.
"It was always going to be a tough task being the defending champions, but we knew what we were up against. I have to take my hats off to the girls they really played their hearts out today," a visibly satisfied Pitterson remarked.
The General Accident team will receive a total $12,000 for winning the competition, while runners up BNS will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
