Netball: Demolition puts play-off in reach

Joline Henry (centre) and her Mystics teammates had too much firepower for the battling Cantabrians last night. Photo / Dean Purcell

Only the Southern Steel stand between Northern Mystics and their first transtasman league play-off.

The Mystics are just one win away from securing their place in the ANZ Championship finals after demolishing the Canterbury Tactix in last night's round 11 clash at Trusts Stadium.

A sluggish second quarter, which they lost 14-11, was the only blight on an otherwise impressive performance from the Mystics, who had too much firepower for the battling Cantabrians.

Nothing short of a dominant performance against the bottom-placed Tactix was going to be acceptable for the Auckland side. They needed to distance themselves from last week's horror loss to the NSW Swifts and reassert their play-off credentials with a confident and cohesive display.

And the emphatic 19-goal win certainly ticked off those key objectives, improving the Mystics' goal percentage, which may prove crucial in both the make-up and order of the top four.

But Mystics captain Temepara George said her side didn't want to get themselves in a position where they were relying on goal percentage to carry them through to the play-offs.

Last night's win brought the Mystics once again level with the Swifts (4th) and Melbourne Vixens (3rd) on 16 points. But with the Swifts and Vixens set to face off in next week's final round, the Mystics are guaranteed a place in the top four if they beat the Steel in Invercargill.

It will be the biggest game in the Mystics' history, never having faced this type of pressure, but George said her side had the belief and experience to do the business against a dangerous Steel side.

"If we don't win against the Steel then we really don't deserve to be in the top four. It's going to be a tough game because they're playing really well, but we're ready for the challenge," said George.

The Mystics are seeking to become the second New Zealand team in the 2011 finals behind the Magic, who cemented their place in the top four with a 55-36 demolition of the Thunderbirds in Adelaide yesterday.

It was the Magic's fourth win on Australian soil in as many seasons, and by far their most impressive as they brought the Thunderbirds crashing back to earth following last week's upset win over the NSW Swifts, restricting the Adelaide side to their lowest ANZ Championship score.

A strong defensive effort was well backed up by a similar showing under the hoop, where Irene van Dyk enjoyed a stellar outing to post 43 goals from 47 attempts as Magic went on to over-run the young Thunderbirds team.

The win lifts the Magic to second position on the ladder outright, a position they should maintain over the final round, when they meet the Central Pulse in Taupo.

Embarrassed by their performance in their last outing against the Swifts in Sydney, the Mystics had a steely resolve about them when they stepped out on to their home court. The Auckland side started the match with a clinical precision rarely seen from the Mystics as they raced out to a 17-10 lead at the first break.

Perhaps lulled into a false sense of security after such a dominant start, the Mystics side that came out from the break was not so focused, slipping back into old habits.

As a result, the Tactix climbed back within four of the home side at halftime. But the Mystics regained control in the second half and steadily built from there.