Netball: Magic desperate to end lean spell

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic have their best chance of victory so far this season when they face Canterbury Tactix in Rotorua tonight.

But if there's one thing Magic should have learned in this year's ANZ Championship, after going four rounds without a win, it's that they can take nothing for granted. They will need to pull out a solid performance to ensure a win.

There have been signs Magic's fortunes may be about to change with progress being made but so far they have been unable to find winning form and another loss could see their season in tatters.

Tactix head into tonight's clash at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre with one win under their belts, a round-two victory over NSW Swifts. They had a heavy loss to West Coast Fever in round one, lost to Southern Steel in a closely-fought encounter in round three and lost to Central Pulse 45-50 in round four.

The Canterbury team have been able to get their hands on plenty of ball this season but inconsistent shooting has hampered their efforts.

For Magic, ball retention has been a big part of their game so far this campaign and their downfall has tended to be in falling off the pace when the win is within their grasp.

Tactix might fancy themselves a chance at taking down the home team but failing to nail their shots at goal could prove their undoing with the powerful Magic defensive duo of Casey Williams and Leana de Bruin getting better with each match to date.

That weekly improvement has Magic coach Noeline Taurua keeping the faith, convinced her side is on the brink of a turnaround.

Her team's close match against table-topping Melbourne Vixens in round four, which Magic led most of the way, was another step up, she said.

"Every week, although we haven't been able to pull the two points out, we feel we've had a lot of successes happening within the team," Taurua said. "Every time we've taken the court our attitude has been better and our units have been better, so there's some real positive stuff.

"There's always that time where you have to get over the mourning, the feel of losing but once we regroup ourselves, away we've gone again. Internally, we're building a stronger base than we've ever had which sounds weird but that's actually what's happening."

Magic had been working hard on polishing their game even further in the week leading up to their only game in Rotorua, she said.

"Team unity and the belief in what we're doing is still all intact and if anything, and contrary to what most others might think of how we are feeling at the moment, we're actually the opposite. We're feeling very good and it's all about ourselves against ourselves and we're getting better every week."

In other round five matches Adelaide Thunderbirds beat West Coast Fever 48-36; Melbourne Vixens beat Queensland Firebirds 52-51; and Northern Mystics 51 beat Central Pulse 47.