Netball: Tactix hold out Pulse

Canterbury Tactix overcame a woeful third quarter to grind out a 49-46 win over Central Pulse in a bottom-of-the-table transtasman netball league match in Christchurch yesterday.

The Pulse, yet to score a win in a season and a half of the ANZ Championship, again came heart-breakingly close but fell away in the final quarter as the Tactix came through for only their second victory of the season.

The Pulse gave it everything, spearheaded by a fearless defensive display from Jamaican defender Althea Byfield, back on court for the first time since suffering concussion against the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in their round six match two weeks ago.

Byfield was at her dominant best, hounding Tactix goal shoot Jodi Brown mercilessly, and picking up intercepts at will with quick hands, exceptional elevation and uncanny anticipation.

However, it was the Tactix who started with more assurance, their Silver Ferns midcourt combination of Julie Seymour and Maree Bowden finding Brown and goal attack Anna Thompson with ease as the southerners edged out to lead 13-12 at the end of the first quarter.

Pulse coach Yvette-McCausland Durie wasn't satisfied, however, and switched shooter Paula Griffin to goal attack at the end of the break, bringing national under-21 representative Te Amo Amaru-Tibble in at goal shoot.

The young combination, up against some intimidating defence from English international Sonia Mkoloma and Charlotte Kight, impressed immediately but a four-goal run just on the halftime whistle saw the Tactix lead 28-24 at the break.

Pulse wing attack Jamilah Gupwell, seen more often at goal attack, got through a power of work and her combination with centre Camilla Lees grew in confidence as the match progressed.

Both teams were guilty of squandering hard-won possession in the third quarter, with turn-overs too often wasted in an effort to force the ball into the circle.

The Tactix weren't helped out, either, by a bad case of the shooting yips, with both Brown and Thompson looking suddenly vulnerable under pressure from Byfield and Hannah Broederlow, brought on for Bessie Manu, who still appeared troubled by calf problems.

Down 36-37 at three-quarter time, the Pulse showed real grit to battle back in the final 15 minutes, sneaking out to the occasional one-goal lead as the match see-sawed.

But the Tactix defensive screen held strong, and coach Helen Mahon-Stroud's gamble in shifting the disruptive Mkoloma out to goal defence for the last spell paid dividends, as she relished the extra space and opportunity to go hunting in the midcourt.

Brown and Thompson recovered some equilibrium and shot steadily in the last minutes, Brown's 28 from 35 giving her a success rate of 80 per cent, while Thompson's 21 from 28 left her with a 75 per cent conversion rate.

Amaru-Tibble was the Pulse's success story sinking 16 from 18 for 89 per cent while Griffin worked hard with 26 from 32 at 81 per cent.

Tactix captain Seymour said her team's overall experience had been crucial.

"When it really mattered, we were able to put our foot down and get a couple of goals ahead," she told Sky Sport. "It gave us a little bit of leeway going into the last couple of minutes."

Pulse captain Cushla Lichtwark afterwards paid tribute to her team.

"We do keep getting better, and the win's going to come. We just have to keep working hard on the processes," she told SkySport.

Lichtwark said Amaru-Tibble's contribution had been a real bonus.

"She brings a different style of goal shoot to our circle - she's got some fantastic skills and great awareness of the circle. She was a good combination with Paula."

- NZPA