European call up for Michelle

Faced with an availability crisis among her established defenders, new national coach Jill McIntosh has turned to Larkfield’s Drayne, currently completing her first year as a teacher over in the south of England, as her best option.

Normally a centre, the 23-year-old slotted in satisfactorily at wing defence during the recent warm-up event in Glasgow where the girls in green signed off by beating their Scottish hosts 54-38 with an impressive performance.

Drayne played her part in an encouragingly confident and dynamic display by the team, which has Kingsway supremo Laura Montgomery as Australian McIntosh’s assistant coach.

An unused subsitute throughout last year’s European Championships at Antrim Forum before losing out to club colleague Laura Mason for a place in the World Cup squad a couple of months later, Drayne’s head hasn’t dropped as she pressed for another opportunity.

Being based in England has meant travelling over for squad sessions but her hard work is set to be rewarded with a greater role in the national team than she has had previously.

The unavailability for a variety of reasons of Micaela Brunton, Fionnuala Toner, Bronagh McAfee and Larkfield’s Neamh Woods has opened the door for Drayne who looks like getting the nod for a starting spot over clubmate Deborah McCarthy.

McCarthy missed the Glasgow trip and although a more experienced international than Drayne, she has struggled for full fitness and including her as goalkeeper rather than goal defence would mean moving new captain Gemma Gibney, who is carrying a knee injury.

Drayne should have the familiar figure of her club captain, the world-class Caroline O’Hanlon, alongside her at centre but the other two Larkfield players who featured in last summer’s World Cup squad, Kyla Bowman and Mason, have opted out of international netball for now.