Evering return boosts Tivoli

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

National representative Kasey Evering made a decent return to competitive netball for Tivoli Gardens 'A' by scoring 18 goals from 24 attempts to guide her team to an easy 52-22 victory over Skibo 'A' in the JNA/Berger Paints Super League competition on Sunday at the Leila Robinson Courts.

Evering, who last represented Jamaica at the 2007 World Netball Championships in New Zealand, sustained damage to her meniscus and ACL earlier last year and has been sidelined since.

The towering defender was forced to complete two separate surgeries on her injured knee, which has kept her out of the sport since.

"It felt weird because I'm used to playing at a certain standard and now I have to adjust my style because of the injury," said the 27-year-old Evering.

"This is my first game back because I have only begun training twice, and so I think I did fairly well," she said.

Evering added: "I think as the season goes on I will definitely get better because this is just a starting point to see what I need to work on before the bigger games come up."

Unfamiliar position

Evering, who is regarded as one of Jamaica's best defenders, started the match in the unfamiliar position of goal attack, a decision, she said, was made by her coach, Sylvester Campbell.

"The coach wanted to take some of the pressure off my foot and so he put me at goal attack because my knee is very weak," said Evering.

She said that she is hoping to return to the national set-up next month.

"I think I will be able to start training with the national team in late April, once I get the go-head from my phy-siotherapist, Maureen Spence-Campbell," she said.

Meanwhile, Campbell, coach of Tivoli 'A', which last won the competition in 1997, is very delighted to have Evering back on his team.

"She played pretty well for someone who has not played a game for more than a year," said Campbell.

"Once she can give us 80 per cent in the next two weeks, then we will have a much greater chance of winning the competition," he said.

The west Kingston based-team, which was registering the fifth straight win of the campaign, also got goals from Nickeisha Cohen, 23, and Jodie-Ann Ffrench, 11.

Skibo 'A' goals were scored by Tanesha Porter, 13, and Samantha White, nine.

In the day's other game, Open League champions Waulgrovians 'A' recorded their fifth win of the season with a comfortable 48-30 victory over newcomers Mico.

Janielle Fowler led the way for the Marvette Anderson-coached Waulgrovians, with 26 goals from 31 attempts. Fowler received good support from national players Christina Solmon, 18 from 25, and Simone Forbes, four from six.

Sharna Cartridice, with 23 goals from 36 attempts, and national representative Vanessa Walker, seven from 12, were the scorers for the Mico.