Netball: Second-half fade sets Magic up to fail again

Ellen Halpenny of the Magic. Photo / Getty Images

Two troubling trends continued as the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic fell to the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane yesterday.

The Magic again showed a worrying tendency to fade in the second half of matches, blowing a three-goal halftime lead. And the defeat continued an inconsistent campaign, with the Magic still without back-to-back wins this season.

They remain in second spot in the New Zealand conference, three points ahead of the Steel and Central Pulse, but that standing may not last long. Julie Fitzgerald's side have played two games more than the chasing pack and face a tricky trip to Australian leaders West Coast Fever next week.

The visit to Perth completes a tough two-game jaunt across the Tasman and only the most optimistic of Magic fans will retain hopes of their side heading home with a win.

But it could have been different had the Magic been able to sustain their impressive first-half effort yesterday, storming to a five-goal lead in the opening quarter as Leana de Bruin and teenage partner Kristiana Manu'a kept Jamaican goal shoot Romelda Aiken quiet.

The Firebirds' eight goals marked their worst first quarter of the season, and the Magic continued to dictate terms in the second. But a late surge closed the gap to 23-20 at halftime, a hint of what was to follow.

A young and inexperienced Magic side appeared easier pickings in the second half, allowing the Firebirds to score the first seven goals of the stanza. That outburst created a 16-7 advantage in the quarter, completely swinging the game and allowing the hosts to close out their fifth consecutive win.

Firebirds 50 (Aiken 40/49, Tippett (10/17)
Magic 42 (Harten 29/34, Halpenny 10/15). 1Q: 8-13, HT: 20-23, 3Q: 36-30, FT: 50-42.