Sydney Swifts 53 Southern Steel 42
KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - The New South Wales Swifts confirmed their status as one of the transtasman netball favourites with a 53-42 win over the Southern Steel here last night.
A blistering 16-7 run from the Swifts in the third quarter proved the difference in this ANZ Championship game after the scores were locked 23-23 at halftime at Acer Arena.
It gave them a comfortable nine-point buffer heading into the final 15 minutes and the best the Steel could do was narrow the gap to six goals before the hosts pulled clear again.
The result gave first round honours to Australia 2-1 in the matchups, after the Melbourne Vixens beat Central Pulse and Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic beat Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Last night's match pitted two of the competition heavyweights, carrying the bulk of the defending champion sides from their respective national leagues.
Both had to cope with the loss of key personnel; the Steel without retired shooter Donna Wilkins and pregnant Silver Ferns captain Adine Wilson while the Swifts had a fresh defensive combination after Mo'onia Gerrard's departure to Adelaide and Australian captain Liz Ellis' retirement.
After a cautious, even opening stanza the sides couldn't be split at halftime after the Steel had an early edge but couldn't shake off the hosts, with wing attack Liana Barrett-Chase a prominent figure.
The Steel shot out to 5-1 early on, with towering shooter Daneka Wipiiti on target from long range as fellow shooter Megan Dehn, a former Swift and Australian international, was effective finding her in space.
The Swifts led 12-11 at the first break before the Steel took over in the second quarter, building a four-goal lead before the hosts pulled it back to level at halftime.
The Swifts' young defensive duo Rebecca Bulley and Kimberley Purcell kept Wipiiti more in check as the match progressed.
The third quarter was decisive for the Swifts as their veteran Australian shooter Catherine Cox started to impose herself in the circle alongside fellow test player Susan Pratley.
It caused Steel coach Robyn Broughton to chop and change her defence, with Silver Ferns squad member Katrina Grant replacing Erika Burgess before the pair were swapped again for the final quarter.
Steel co-captain Jenny-May Coffin blamed errors for her side's second half capitulation.
"We made too many mistakes - I'm incredibly disappointed with that final outcome," she told Fox Sports.
"We were right in it until halftime and I still think we were in it going into that last quarter, but you can't win games when you're throwing possession away.
"We certainly got enough turnover ball but didn't treasure it."
- NZPA
