Netball: Byfield triggers Pulse fightback

An outstanding defensive effort from Jamaican international Althea Byfield did everything but spark the Central Pulse to their first win in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship.

Byfield was inspirational as the Pulse, still winless in the league, fought hard before succumbing 54-50 to the Northern Mystics in Auckland tonight.

Down 9-17 at the end of the first quarter, the Pulse looked heading down a well-worn track to yet another loss. But just one thoughtful position swap at the end of the first quarter from Pulse coach Yvette McCausland-Durie's made a telling difference.

Former Canterbury Tactix defender Bessie Manu moved from wing defence to goal defence at the start of the second quarter and, in tandem with Byfield, really started to rattle Mystic shooters Cathrine Latu and Grace Rasmussen.

Latu and Rasmussen found their regular supply of well-directed ball into the circle dried up, Byfield piling on some real pressure as she hunted the ball with excellent elevation and timing.

Pulse captain Cushla Lichtwark looked more comfortable in her accustomed wing defence position, and the Wellington-based team's midcourt started to play with more confidence.

Camilla Lees and Ngarama Milner found the courage to let the ball go, and worked hard to shake off Mystics midcourt maestro Temepara George and rangy disruptive wing defence Debbie White .

The ball into Silver Ferns shooter Paula Griffen and goal attack Jamilah Gupwell started to flow, and the shooters responded as the Pulse won the quarter 13-10 to trail 22-27 at halftime.

Mystics coach Te Aroha Keenan kept English international Pamela Cookey on the bench for the first half but let her loose to telling effect in the second spell.

Although the change took time to gel, Cookey shouldered more of the shooting workload from Latu and provided more options for the Mystics attack than Rasmussen, who put up only seven shots in the first 30 minutes.

Cookey finished the game with a solid 88 per cent success rate, missing just two of her 16 shots on goal, while Latu hit 90 per cent with 35 from 39.

George, who played the second half of the game at wing attack, was well pleased with the impression Cookey made on the game.

"It was an awesome performance actually, she's a great injection into the team, really fast, speedy and she finishes it off," she told Sky Sport afterwards.

George said the Mystics were happy with their strong start today, but disappointed not to apply more consistency over the whole game.

"But we didn't do it for four quarters so it's a bit disappointing on that front. We tend to deviate from what works well, rather than sticking to it," she said.

As a case in point, the Pulse stormed back to win the third quarter 16-12 and go into the final 15 minutes 38-39 down.

But as the game drew to a close, the Pulse's problems working the links from defence to attack resurfaced, especially once Manu went off in the last quarter and Lichtwark moved back to goal defence.

The Mystics' through-court defence caused all sorts of problems as the Pulse struggled in the closing quarter to find a path to the circle, and then convert the ball that made it through.

Griffen worked hard for a sold 86 per cent success rate, sinking 31 from 36 but Gupwell could only manage 19 from 26 for 73 per cent.

Lichtwark was philosophical afterwards, preferring to concentrate on the Pulse fightback from a slow start.

"It's not an ideal start obviously, but there was a lot of fight from our team. You've got to be proud of them fighting back like that.

"It does get frustrating but if you let that creep into your game, it's just going to get worse as the season goes on.

"We've got to make sure that we take the good things and put it into perspective. I think we're only going to get better because we are not only a young side but a new side together."

- NZPA