Netball: Mainland Tactix fall milliseconds short of draw against Central Pulse in ANZ Premiership heartbreaker

By Merryn Anderson

NZ Herald·

19 Jul, 2020 08:30 AM3 mins to read

Tactix's Te Paea Selby-Rickit's final long-range shot was just too late. Photo / Photosport

The Mainland Tactix have fallen milliseconds short of becoming the first team to deny the Central Pulse victory this season.

The Tactix pushed the Pulse to the final minute of their match, with Te Paea Selby-Rickit having the opportunity to draw the game with a beautiful long-range shot with one second on the clock.

However, the ball went in too late, denying the Tactix what would have been an impressive draw.

Tactix midcourter Kimiora Poi was left to lament the final minute of play — regretting wasting precious seconds being called for defensive penalties.

"I think we could have been a bit smarter in that last minute down in our defensive end — we held the time because we were contacting."

The 33-32 win extends the Pulse's lead on the ladder, moving to 8-0 and sitting 11 points clear of their nearest rivals, the Northern Mystics.

The Pulse were coming off a tough match against the Mystics the day before, and started with the same starting seven as their previous seven matches. Tactix coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek made no changes throughout the match.

Little separated the sides throughout, with a missed shot from Ellie Bird late in the first half giving the Pulse a one goal lead at halftime, before a powerful third quarter from the Tactix gave them a three-goal lead at the break, which they managed to extend to four — the largest lead for either side all game — with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Pulse shooters Aliyah Dunn and Ameliaranne Ekenasio shot at 100 per cent in the first half, but their accuracy wavered in the third quarter, when Dunn (13/13) was benched in favour of Tiana Metuarau (7/11).

However, their defence came to the party, as the Tactix mustered a remarkably low four attempts in the final quarter, compared with the Pulse's 12, in what ended as the lowest-scoring game in ANZ Premiership history — a stat admittedly exacerbated by the shorter 12-minute quarters this season.

The Tactix had a chance for their fifth attempt of the quarter, but Selby-Rickit pulled the trigger just too late.

● The Southern Steel also took a one-point win today, edging the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic 41-40. Both teams now sit on 10 points through eight games, with the Steel moving off the bottom of the ladder by the smallest of margins — a one-goal advantage on goal difference.