Sunshine Girl Kasey Evering at a practice session at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre netball facility yesterday ahead of a practice game against Northern Ireland. - Ricardo Makyn

Sunshine Girls Paula Thompson (left) and Vangelee Williams undergo a drill at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre netball facility, before they played a practice game against Northern Ireland. - Ricardo Makyn

GLASGOW, Scotland:

Thirty-seven points are what separated Jamaica from a bronze medal in the netball competition at the last Commonwealth Games in Delhi four years ago, with England's crushing 70-47 defeat of the Sunshine Girls.

That's the past - a past that Is not only firmly behind the number four ranked team in the world, but one that has fuelled an even greater desire to shake the history of fourth-place finishes at the Commonwealth Games and shoot their way to a medal finish in Glasgow.

Only once has Jamaica claimed a medal in netball at these championships. That was back in 2002 in Manchester, England, with the team finishing fourth on the three other occasions that netball was played at the Commonwealth Games.

Coach Minneth Reynolds, who watched calmly from the sidelines as the team stretched their legs in a 71-41 win over Northern Ireland in a practice game at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre yesterday, made it clear that the team is firmly over the disaster of 2010.

"We are over that experience (in 2010). We have done our work and looked back at where we have been falling short and really done a lot of work with our sports psychologist back home. We talk about issues, anything that affect them on court or off court. We encourage them to talk about everything because we don't want it to affect their play," Reynolds told STAR Sports.

"They themselves are tired of the fourth-place finishes and this is an opportunity for them to go out there and get themselves among the medals," Reynolds added.

If that is to happen, they will need a full shift from veterans Kasey Evering, Paula Thompson, Nicole Aiken, Romelda Aiken and Sasher-Gaye Henry - all of whom were a part of the 2007 World Netball Championships bronze meal winning team. Evering and Henry actually played together on the 2000 World Youth Netball Championships team that won silver.

"Experience is going to be of critical importance to us and we will need that blended with the youth, especially when we are up against the stronger teams. The girls that are more experienced - those who have played in the ANZ and at this level before will need to work overtime in bringing the others along," said Reynolds.

Coach Minneth Reynolds - Ricardo Makyn