The NSW Swifts have fallen to their second defeat of the year after a pulsating top-of-the-table Suncorp Super Netball clash at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena on Saturday.
The 63-60 result means the Vixens remain on top spot of the ladder after eight rounds, with the Swifts in second. Sunshine Coast Lighting will have the opportunity to enter the top two when they play West Coast Fever on Sunday.
Swifts head coach Briony Akle was understandably disappointed by the result but said someone had to lose between the top two.
“That was one of the best games of netball I think you’ll see and was really one for the purists,” she said.
“You never want to lose but at least we can take some solace in the fact that it was the top two teams going at it in a ding-dong battle from start to finish.
“We just lacked that little bit of composure at the death but we can learn from that.
“It would have been nice to be top this evening but we know we can run with the best team in the 2020 competition so far.”
There was very little to separate the sides in the opening quarter with both attacks sides looking sharp and composed. A Paige Hadley tip in the midcourt led to the Swifts taking two-goal lead into the first Rebel Power Five but when Sam Wallace was unable to hold a pass in the goal circle it gave the Vixens the turnover needed to regain the upper hand.
A Helen Housby intercept got Wallace back on the scoresheet and with it the Premiers took a slim 15-14 lead to the first break.
Good scrambling for possession on the circle edge by Kate Moloney and confusion in the Swifts’ attacking end, forced by a swarming Melbourne defensive effort, led to the Vixens going on a 9-3 scoring run and forcing the NSW into a timeout.
Akle’s words seemed to have the desired effect with Sarah Klau, Maddy Turner and Hadley combining well to win possession as the Vixens pushed passes that weren’t on.
Four consecutive Wallace goals and a Super Shot from Housby had the Premiers soon back in the lead but a missed long-range attempt from the former gave the Vixens the break needed to get back on level terms (30-30) by halftime.
Replacement Vixens defender Jadie-Ann Dehaney came up with two vital tips in the third quarter and when strong defensive movement forced Hadley into being pinged for a held ball it gave Mwai Kumwenda and Tegan Philip the chance to put Melbourne five up.
A Wallace Super Shot kept the Swifts in it but the Vixens led by four heading into the final quarter.
Housby took a blow to her knee early in the fourth and was replaced by Sophie Garbin for the duration of the game. The Vixens managed to keep NSW at bay for the opening exchanges of the period but good work from Klau gave them to chance to get back within one.
A loose Wallace pass then allowed the Vixens to respond in kind and extend the margin to four again and when Garbin was called for stepping the difference grew to six - the biggest lead of the day.
But there was drama to come when a pair of Super Shots from Wallace had the Swifts back within one.
They looked poised to pull off a phenomenal comeback but when a pass went awry with 60 seconds left it allowed the Vixens run the clock down and edge the contest.
Quarter by Quarter Scores
SWIFTS | Q1: 15, Q2: 30 (15), Q3: 43 (13), Q4: 63 (17)
VIXENS | Q1: 14, Q2: 30 (16), Q3: 47 (17), Q4: 60 (16)
Starting Teams
SWIFTS | GS Sam Wallace, GA Helen Housby, WA Natalie Haythornthwaite, C Maddy Proud, WD Paige Hadley, GD Lauren Moore, GK Sarah Klau
Reserves used: Maddy Turner, Sophie Garbin, Tayla Fraser, Sophie Craig
VIXENS | GS Mwai Kumwenda, GA Caitlin Thwaites, WA Liz Watson, C Kate Moloney, WD Kate Eddy, GD Jo Weston, GK Emily Mannix
Reserves used: Tegan Philip, Kadie-Ann Dehaney
Match Stats
Full match stats can be viewed here
