Netball: Magic aim to avenge loss

Courtney Tairi in action at ASB Arena for Magic against West Coast Fever. Photo/George Novak

Kia Magic will seek to keep their play-off destiny in their own hands in the eagerly-awaited ANZ Championship netball rematch with Central Pulse in Wellington tonight.

With five rounds to go and a tightly-packed field, any slip-ups now could prove costly in the run to decide the play-off contenders, which is still too close to pick at this stage.

It took extra time before Pulse clinched the honours by three goals in the first meeting between the pair four weeks ago, consigning Magic to their only loss of the season in the process.

Sitting just outside the top four, in fifth, with a four-win four-loss record, the ramifications are more significant for the Pulse where another loss could prove dire. However, Magic coach Julie Fitzgerald is equally adamant a win for her side is just as important.

"We seem to be coming up every week against teams that are desperate to improve their spot on the ladder," she said.

"But you can't afford really to be table watching. We're sitting virtually at the top of the table now, we'd only have to lose two games and we're right back down there in the mix with everybody else. The teams come into the match off contrasting fortunes in the previous round, Magic sneaking a hard-fought one-goal win over a tenacious Adelaide Thunderbirds while Pulse slumped to a 12-goal loss to the well-drilled Melbourne Vixens.

Magic, however, were given a good shake-up, with the Thunderbirds defensive line causing some concerns for Magic's flow on attack.

"When I watched that match again, it wasn't as bad as I thought," Fitzgerald said.

"But we certainly made a lot of errors, more errors than we're accustomed to making and at crucial times."

On the positive side, Fitzgerald was rich in her praise of defenders Casey Kopua and Leana de Bruin.

The experienced Silver Ferns pair kept Magic in the hunt with a constant supply of turnover ball, Fitzgerald citing it as one of the "best games they've had for us all year.

"You do gain a certain amount of confidence out of winning those really tough games, particularly when you've got to come from behind and get it," she said.