Mystics coach holds on to slim play-off chance

Northern Mystics coach Te Aroha Keenan hasn't yet given up hope on her misfiring team making the transtasman netball league playoffs.
But with only two rounds left, the sixth-placed Mystics can afford nothing less than an outright win over third-placed Southern Steel when the two teams meet on Monday in Auckland.
Five weeks ago when the two teams clashed in Invercargill, the Mystics overcame the Steel's intimidating home-court advantage for a 52-49 win. Since then, however, they have continued to stutter, recording a one-goal win over the Pulse, a six-goal loss to the table-topping NSW Swifts and a nine-goal win over the West Coast Fever.
In contrast, the Steel have had wins over Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, Melbourne Vixens and Canterbury Tactix, and have a settled, dangerous look about them.
Keenan admitted the Mystics hadn't really delivered in this year's league, despite a judicious recruitment campaign in the off-season resulting in a talent-laden squad.
"For us, every game's been important but we just haven't been able to fire. There's still a chance for us to get into the play-offs, but it's really slim," she  said.

As well as winning their next two games, the Mystics need a couple of other results to go their way if they are to sneak into the top four.  Keenan prefers to concentrate on her team's last vital matches against the Steel and Canterbury Tactix.
"It's really about winning the last two games. We're not thinking about anything else, we can only take care of the stuff we can control."
Keenan said the winning of Monday's match probably centred on forcing turnovers, maintaining possession and finding the Aucklanders' accurate shooting duo of Cathrine Latu and Maria Tutaia.
"We've got a good shooting combination and so have they - it's going to be one-on-one, the individual matching up against their opponents and whether they can get the edge."
Latu has had a superb season, sitting second on the shooting percentages, with her 91.8 per cent success rate bettered only by Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic shooter Irene van Dyk's 94 per cent. Tutaia's 80 per cent is less impressive, but the Silver Ferns goal attack is a constant threat with her court work and speedy turn-and-shoot long game.
The Steel's shooting combination of Daneka Wipiiti and Megan Dehn have improved in accuracy and fluidity.
Wipiiti has an 84.8 per cent success rate at the hoop, sitting sixth on shooting stats table, with Dehn a useful back up at 80.9 per cent.
Central Pulse kick off the weekend's play today,  travelling to Napier to meet Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, who will be confident of turning around a three-game losing streak. The struggling Vixens meet the unbeaten NSW Swifts in the late  game today in Melbourne, while Adelaide Thunderbirds are at home to the Fever.
The Tactix, bottom of the table with an inferior goal difference to the Pulse, have a tough away game against the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane on Monday.