KEY POINTS:
Central Pulse's reputation as the easybeats of netball's transtasman league was enhanced as they crashed 59-30 to the New South Wales Swifts in Sydney last night.
The winless Pulse were outplayed throughout the court to suffer the heaviest defeat of any team through four rounds of the ANZ
Championship.
The result would have been considerably worse but for fighting efforts in the second and fourth quarters, which were both lost by just two goals.
A week after their 28-56 loss Queensland Firebirds, the lower North Island franchise slipped back into the same mistakes and never looked like competing with the slick Sydneysiders.
The writing was on the wall as they fell 0-5 down inside four minutes and went into the first break a demoralising 6-22 down.
None of the other quarters were that lop-sided by the hosts, led by goal shoot Catherine Cox, steadily pulled away to be 34-16 up at halftime and 48-21 with 15 minutes to play.
The Swifts go top of the table on goal differential. They are one of five teams with a three win-one loss record, with the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic the only New Zealand team in that group.
Ball movement was a struggle all night for Pulse, who put up considerably less shots.
They also struggled to slow the Swifts' flow, being called a whopping 58 times for contact.
Pulse coach Kate Carpenter's changes had a degree of impact.
After the first quarter teenager Amber Bellringer was introduced at goal shoot, with Susan Tagicakibau shuffling back to goal attack in place of Jamilah Gupwell.
Takicikibau was best at finding space of the shooters, managing 19 goals.
At halftime Carpenter moved wing defence Cushla Lichtwark from wing defence to goal defence, with Sonia Mkoloma shifted back to goal keep in place of Kahurangi Waititi.
It doesn't get easier for the Pulse this Saturday when they face leading New Zealand contenders the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic in Hamilton.
Pulse captain Frances Solia was a forlorn figure after the final whistle.
"It's back to the drawing board obviously," she told Fox Sports.
"It's a matter of critiquing our basic errors. At the moment we're making a few too many.
"We were hoping today to have a calm and composed 60-minute game but unfortunately we were stopped from doing that."
Solia said her team had worked hard in a three-day camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra so she was disappointed her side couldn't put their learnings on court.
"We thought we were on the right track. Our buildup was great but we couldn't deliver tonight," she said.
"These players will only get better. We can only get experience by coming out here and playing against some of the best people in the world."
- NZPA
