By RICHARD BOOCK
Manukau's bold surge towards the national netball championship playoffs has been rivalled only by Wellington's alarming slide in the opposite direction..
The South Auckland side moved a step closer to a semifinal placing at Hamilton's Mystery Creek Stadium last night when they over-ran traditional heavyweights Wellington 76-64 to secure
their second consecutive tournament win.
After a day in which Canterbury, Waikato and Manukau reaffirmed their early tournament favouritism, Wellington and Auckland are still searching for their first championship wins and the chance to lift themselves above the unseemly scramble of a promotion-relegation tussle.
However, there should be no such concerns for Jan Lundon's Manukau side, who finished third at last season's championship and are keen to reach the first final of their short, three-year, first-division history.
Lundon, who is not one to lavish praise on her line-up, said there was a lot of work to be done before her side could think about a title shot, but was quietly pleased with a trouble-free start to the championships.
"We were pretty untidy and indisciplined at times," she said.
"We really need to keep the intensity throughout the match and we'll have to do better if we want to keep progressing.
"I thought we were better than what we were on the first day but really need to step up from now on."
Manukau square off against Waikato tonight in a game which should ultimately decide the final placings in pool A.
Ten-times winners Wellington are facing a bottom-of-the-table showdown against unfancied Manawatu.
In the other pool, Canterbury remain the only unbeaten side after pipping Otago 58-54, while Auckland crashed to a 43-53 loss against Southland to leave their title hopes in dire straits.
Canterbury coach Margie Foster, who could yet lead the newly promoted red-and-blacks from the bottom of first division to the championship title, said she was encouraged by the side's increasing momentum.
"We were a bit shaky first up against Auckland," she said.
"But I thought we showed some improvement in this game."
"We're travelling with small steps - making small gains - and we can be pleased with the progress without getting carried away."
In second-division games, Noeline Taurua's Bay of Plenty side kept their unbeaten record intact with a 64-50 win over Canterbury Red.
North Harbour had two good wins, beating Tasman 58-38 and Canterbury Red 60-56 respectively, and Taranaki knocked over Waikato Premiers 62-57.
