Netball: Manner of victory not quite what the Magic were looking for

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic player, Jamie-Lee Price. File photo / Alan Gibson

Sometimes the losses feel like wins and the wins like losses.

The Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic have experienced both phenomena in their past few transtasman league match-ups.

After two fighting defeats to Australian heavyweights the Swifts and the Vixens over the past two weeks, the Magic went into tonight's match against the Mainland Tactix looking to "re-set" their season with a confidence-building performance. But the 52-49 win did little to improve the Magic's mood.

With the exception of a brilliant opening seven minutes, in which the Magic ran rampant as they piled on 10 unanswered goals, it was an otherwise ugly performance from the homeside, who did not respond well when the pressure eventually came on from the Tactix.

After the horror start the visitors fought, scrapped and clawed - sometimes literally - their way back into the match, never allowing the Magic to get comfortable for the remaining 43 minutes of the match. As the Magic became increasingly frazzled with some of the clumsy, and occasionally cynical, challenges from the Tactix on defence, the visitors took advantage, closing to within one goal mid-way through the final spell.

But the experience of the Magic's internationals came to the fore in the final few minutes as the Waikato-Bay of Plenty side managed to eke out a scrappy win.

While they collected a much-needed two points, the glum look on the faces of the Magic players following the match said it all.

"That was not a good game for us - we were 10 goals up and to win by what three or four was not good enough," said Magic shooter Jo Harten.

"We're probably going to get punished by Julie [Fitzgerald] in training this week and we deserve it."

Returning to the starting line-up tonight after being sidelined with a rib injury Harten took little time in setting about her work as the Magic opened with a scoring spree.

It was seven minutes before the usually prolific Tactix shooter Mwai Kumwenda had her first shot at goal, as young Magic defender Kristiana Manu'a did an impressive job of containing the Malawi import.

Needing to do something to address the early damage on the scoreboard, Tactix coach Sue Hawkins was not willing to wait until the quarter break to make a change to her line-up, instead using an injury break to inject young shooter Gemma Hazeldine into the attack, benching Bailey Mes. With greater speed and mobility, and deception to her passing game, Hazeldine immediately opened up the attack end and brought Kumwenda into the game, cutting the deficit to 15-10 at the first break.

The Tactix also upped the ante defensively, hassling the Magic attack in to uncharacteristic turnovers through some tight one-on-one marking.

A lapse in concentration from the visitors late in the second spell allowed the Magic to extend their lead out to 27-21 at halftime, but it was not long before the Tactix closed in on them again.

Unhappy with some of the attention they were receiving from the Tactix defenders, particularly on the circle edge and transverse line, the Magic started reacting, which only further unsettled their attacking play.

With the Magic losing their cool, the Tactix rallied to close the gap to 39-36 heading into the fourth period, and while the threatened down the final stretch, the visitors were never able to get their noses in front.

In today's earlier match, the Adelaide Thunderbirds picked up their first win of the season, narrowly edging the Melbourne Vixens 47-45 to avenge their round two loss to the defending champions.