Netball: Sting back to winning form

Southern Sting put last week's shock netball loss to the Otago Rebels behind them with a convincing 67-53 win over Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic at Stadium Southland here tonight.

It was a night to savour for the defending National Bank Cup champions who were hurt by the Rebels upset, a loss which ended an unbeaten stretch of 14 games.

Sting wing defence Wendy Telfer was the catalyst for the home team's first quarter dominance.

Making her starting debut for Sting, Telfer secured three intercepts to help her team put together a run of 13 consecutive goals.

She ended the period with four intercepts and a smile a mile wide.

The Magic never really recovered after trailing 12-22 at the end of the first quarter, although the visitors did win the third quarter and drew the final spell.

Irene van Dyk was all-but blocked out of the first half, but she ended the game with 44 goals from 48 attempts.

Sting's attack coughed up just five goals for the entire game, with goal attack Donna Loffhagen landing 35 from 38 and goalshoot Tania Dalton 32 from 34 in a player of the match performance.

Sting coach Robyn Broughton was pleased with the way her team bounced back from last week's disappointment.

She was rapt with Telfer, her Verdon College protege, as well as her midcourt partner Adine Harper.

Goalkeep Megan Hutton had also played well against Silver Ferns supremo van Dyk, Broughton said.

Magic coach Noeline Taurua made a raft of changes after the disastrous opening quarter, swapping Jenny-May Coffin and Amigene Metcalfe in the midcourt and shuffling her defence.

But the changes did nothing to counteract the pace of the Sting attack.

Sting will now take plenty of confidence into Sunday's game at home against the Force, while Magic face an uphill battle to make the semifinals. They and take on the Capital Shakers at Mystery Creek in Hamilton on Sunday.

- NZPA