The NSW Swifts have bounced back from their loss to the Melbourne Vixens with a 69-54 Round 9 win over the Collingwood Magpies at Brisbane's Nissan Arena on Tuesday night.
Despite being without star attacker Helen Housby, who sat the game out with a calf complaint, the Premiers had too much for the valiant Magpies who faded in the last quarter despite having got within touching distance of their opponents late in the third.
The win means the Premiers have cemented second spot on the competition ladder for this Round, just one win behind leaders the Melbourne Vixens who beat the Giants earlier in the night.
Swifts head coach Briony Akle was pleased with the win but felt the Swifts had plenty to work on ahead of Saturday's clash with the Queensland Firebirds.
"We don't seem to do anything easy," she said. "We played beautifully in parts of the game but then let ourselves down with little errors which kept them in the game.
"That said I am happy with the way we came back in the last quarter and put the game beyond their reach.
"It was a scrappy contest in parts and both sides had injuries coming into it but if you'd told me we'd be in second and well in the hunt for a top-two spot at this stage I'd have taken it.
"We're looking forward to the Firebirds now, which will be another big clash."
The Swifts generated three turnover possessions in the opening stages of the first quarter with Sarah Klau to the fore in defence. They converted two of them to take an 11-7 lead before Collingwood called their first timeout.
A Jodi-Ann Ward intercept could've had the Magpies right on the Swifts' heels but they failed to convert and Sam Wallace and Sophie Garbin were quick to punish them in the goal circle, shooting NSW to a 20-11 lead before Shimona Nelson responded for Collingwood with a Suncorp Super Shot.
The Magpies lost possession on the opening centre pass of the second quarter and Wallace extended the Swifts' advantage. Akle made some changes to her side, bringing on young NSW talent Kelly Singleton at goal attack and giving Garbin a rest.
The QBE Swifts Academy athlete looked comfortable with the pace in just her second Super Netball game and linked well with MVP Maddy Proud who was feeding plenty of ball into the shooting circle.
The Swifts' lead grew to 10 goals before the quarter's Rebel Power Play but three Super Shots from Gabi Sinclair and Nyah Allen had the Pies back within six and their confidence growing.
Akle called a timeout and it had the desired effect as Hadley calmed things in the midcourt and Garbin finished the quarter with a Super Shot to send the Swifts to the sheds nine goals ahead.
An offside call against Hadley early in the third quarter gave Collingwood the break they were looking for at the start of the second half. The Magpies were far more clinical in their play with Emma Ryde a good target for her feeders.
While Collingwood were growing into the game the Swifts suddenly looked flustered and rushed in attack. Garbin missed a number of attempts and Geva Mentor was wreaking havoc in the shooting circle. Rob Wright's side won the quarter 15-12 and went to the final break only six goals in arrears and sensing an upset.
When Proud threw a loose pass which Wallace couldn't take it gave the Pies another opportunity to get even closer but Klau, Lauren Moore and Maddy Turner upped their defensive intensity, destroying any hope Collingwood had of reeling the Swifts in.
After Garbin took a knock she was replaced by Singleton who, with Wallace, finished with a flurry of Super Shots to put some gloss in the scoreline as the Swifts won the final period 21-12.
Quarter-by-quarter scores
SWIFTS | Q1: 20, Q2: 36 (16), Q3: 48 (12), Q4: 69 (21)
MAGPIES | Q1: 13, Q2: 27 (14), Q3: 42 (15), Q4: 54 (12)
Starting Teams
SWIFTS | GS Sam Wallace, GA Sophie Garbin, WA Natalie Haythornthwaite, C Paige Hadley, WD Sophie Craig, GD Lauren Moore, GK Sarah Klau
Reserves used: Maddy Proud, Maddy Turner, Kelly Singleton, Tayla Fraser, Nic Styles
MAGPIES | GS Shimona Nelson, GA Gabi Sinclair, WA Kelly Altman, C Molly Jovic, WD Melissa Bragg, GD Jodi-Ann Ward, GK Geva Mentor
Reserves used: Nyah Allen, Matilda Garrett, Emma Ryde
Match stats
Full match stats can be viewed here
