Northern Mystics 59 Canterbury Tactix 50
The injection of former Southern Steel goal keep Megan Hutton was not enough to test the Northern Mystics, who walked away with a much-needed nine-goal win over the Canterbury Tactix in Waitakere yesterday.
Precision shooting from Cathrine Latu kept the Mystics dominant, notching 33 goals from 34 attempts despite Hutton's surprise appearance.
Hutton was effective in frustrating her opposite, despite being frequently pinged for contact near Latu's favoured baseline position.
Latu remained composed despite Hutton's aggressive, man-on-man defensive style.
"She's just been pulled out of retirement and so I don't think her heart's in it but I was prepared for that," Latu said. "She used to be kind of a mental block for me."
Hutton, who has been drafted in as cover for an injury-hit Tactix side, insisted her cameo in the second half was just an interim measure.
But despite being formally out of the game, Hutton was the only goal keep of the three employed by the Tactix to truly test Latu's mettle.
"Me and Cathrine always have a battle," Hutton said.
"It's always tough between the both of us. She's a fantastic player and I really rate her highly."
The Mystics knew how significant yesterday's round six win was to their ANZ Championship campaign, after three consecutive defeats, including an 11-goal loss to Melbourne last weekend.
"It was great to have a win ... we've forgotten what it felt like," said jubilant Mystics coach Te Aroha Keenan.
Because the Mystics had been criticised for poor starts in previous matches, a solid opening quarter was critical.
Mystics defenders Joline Henry and Althea Byfield reaped the benefits of some early misses from the Tactix.
The Mystics' cause was bolstered further after the Tactix wing-attack and Australian under-21 squad member Chelsea Pitman was carried from the court only four minutes into the game with a knee injury.
Turnover ball provided a feast for the Mystics, who were ahead 19-10 at quarter-time. At the halftime hooter, they still had that nine-goal lead which was the winning margin.
With their lead unthreatened, the Mystics felt comfortable to let the ball go, using their trademark pace to feed Latu and goal attack Maria Tutaia.
It didn't always have the desired effect, however, with the Mystics guilty of some wayward feeds.
But as the third stanza progressed, it became apparent the match was the Mystics to lose. The visitors, despite being able to keep up with the Mystics' pace, were lacking ideas and fell short by nine at fulltime.
Keenan was critical of her side's inability to further extend their lead.
"When you get a lead like that, you should be able to push on from there and that was the intention," Keenan said.
"The Tactix came out and changed things up and we were a bit slow to adapt. When the pressure comes on, we need to keep composed."
In other games, Melbourne travel to Brisbane to meet the Queensland Firebirds tonight, while the Pulse host the Steel and the Fever entertain the Thunderbirds tomorrow night.
