Netball: Pulse aim to keep it positive

Katrina Grant. Photo / Getty Images

Central Pulse captain Katrina Grant has had enough of the negativity.

She's heard the knockers who have reminded her about how the Pulse haven't performed well enough this season but after beating the Mainland Tactix 51-48 in Porirua last night she wants to keep it positive this week.

Last night's victory kept the Pulse in the playoff hunt and with three games to go, they remain a chance to book their first trip to the ANZ Championship finals.

Sunday's match against the Southern Steel in Palmerston North looms as a potential battle for the third and final playoff spot in the New Zealand conference. Both the Pulse and Steel have seven competition points; the Mystics lead the conference with 12, while the Magic are on nine.

"I think we need to focus on the good things," Grant said. "There's too much negativity going around with us losing and not playing our best netball but if we focus on the good things that we've been doing, I think that will lift all of us and it'll make it that much easier to transition in to games."

After meeting the Steel, the Pulse will round out their season with away matches against the Magic and the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

Those wouldn't have counted for much if they didn't get past the Tactix, which proved harder than it should have as the Pulse slacked off during the second and third quarters.

"If we lost that game it would have definitely been us for the season, which we don't want," Grant said.

"We are a good side and should be in that top two but we are not and it's so disappointing. But hopefully this means the start of something."

The Pulse were well served last night by their shooters Ameliaranne Wells and Jodi Brown, while wing attack Liana Leota had one of her better games of the season.

The Tactix got a boost when Zoe Walker joined the defensive circle during the third quarter and her ability to stifle the efforts of Wells and Brown allowed the visitors to get back in to the game.

"They all started attacking the ball and getting around and just being a bit niggly and getting their hands in to things and forcing our mistakes," Grant said.

"We just needed to compose ourselves enough and get over that and relax and get through it and push they on."

Push on they did and the Steel are next on the agenda for a Pulse side who need to keep winning if the playoffs are something they want to be involved in this year.

Pulse 51 (Ameliaranne Wells 33/40, Jodi Brown 18/22) Tactix 48 (Mwai Kumwenda 30/31, Bailey Mes 16/23, Gemma Hazeldine 2/3) 1Q: 17-10, halftime: 32-26, 3Q: 42-41