MAGIC 56
STEEL 47
KEY POINTS:
Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic proved their pedigree with a fine transtasman netball win over a tenacious Southern Steel last night.
The Magic's win at Mystery Creek near Hamilton kept them on top of the standings after seven rounds of the ANZ Championship.
Steel captain Jenny-May Coffin said it was difficult to accept a nine-goal loss after they had closed to within four during the last stanza.
"We showed a lot better patience than we did last week but it is still disappointing to come away being beaten by nine points.
"It's still gutting, there's no two ways about that.
"Again, it was the little things letting us down."
Amigene Metclafe, her Magic counterpart, was hardly doing cartwheels either.
"It wasn't put best performance tonight," she said.
"They put us under a bit of pressure and we didn't deal with it in our best way. But, hey, a win is a win."
She highlighted what she considered to be too many errors on attack as an area coach Noeline Taurua will target this week ahead of their next game, against Canterbury Tactix in Christchurch on Saturday.
With a lineup full of internationals, the Magic were always going to be a handful for coach Robyn Broughton's Steel last night. The Steel were typically determined and held on grimly until the last few minutes when the Magic's superiority saw them kick clear.
The electric mid court partnership of centre Laura Langman and wing attack Metcalfe was a potent weapon for the home side as they regularly fed quick ball to grateful shooters Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia.
They shot at 94 per cent in the first half as the Magic muscled their way to a 31-25 lead, which would have been greater but for a spirited Steel comeback.
The Magic remained in charge at 43-36 with the final quarter remaining.
The Steel refused to lie down, though, and closed to 40-44 before the Magic reasserted themselves in the closing stages.
The result improved Magic's record to 6-1 while the Steel slumped to 2-5 and their playoffs ambitions are already all but extinguished.
- NZPA
