KEY POINTS:
Light at last appeared at the end of the trans-Tasman netball league tunnel for embattled Northern Mystics coach Yvonne Willering tonight.
Willering's team showed that desperation can have its rewards as they beat Southern Steel 50-48 in Invercargill.
It marked their first win after a run of four defeats, a stumbling start to the semi-professional league for a franchise considered among the strongest in New Zealand.
Another defeat tonight could have sunk them without trace but the Mystics scrapped their way to victory, overcoming a 31-39 deficit during the third quarter on the back of sheer determination and will power.
Steel captain Jenny-May Coffin could hardly believe her team coughed up that eight-goal advantage.
"That was just so heart breaking. How do you lose a game when you are up by eight points?" she asked.
"Treasuring the ball is something we talked about and we just didn't do it
"There is a lesson in there for us - when the game is there for the taking we need to take it," Coffin said of her team's third loss in five matches.
After both teams traded goal for goal in the early stages the Steel benefited from their superior accuracy to pull clear 18-12 after the first quarter.
Desperation emerged early for the Mystics and they turned that to their favour as they fought back to 23-25 before the Sting finished the second quarter on a roll to head into halftime protecting a 30-24 advantage.
Again the Northern Mystics gritted their teeth and willed their way back into contention to slice the deficit to two goals at 29-31.
A timely steal by Steel goal keep Megan Hutton helped stem the flow and the home side grabbed back the initiative to improve to 39-31 on the back of swift movement of the ball into the circle where goal shoot Daneka Wipiiti and goal attack Megan Dehn impressed.
By contrast, much of the ball directed to the Mystics' principal target, goal shoot Cathrine Latu, was delayed in transition as the Steel mid courters ran themselves ragged to apply pressure.
But the contest continued to ebb and flow as the Mystics won the third quarter 15-11 and trailed just 39-41 heading into the last stanza.
They carried that momentum forward, dragging themselves level at 41-41 before Wipiiti sunk successive goals under pressure.
The Mystics tightened up and suddenly found themselves ahead for the first time in the match at 44-43 midway through the quarter.
They kept their composure down the stretch - much to Willering's delight.
- NZPA
