KEY POINTS:
The Adelaide Thunderbirds stayed on track for a playoffs berth after surviving a spirited challenge from the Northern Mystics in the transtasman netball league today.
The Thunderbirds won their 11th round fixture 48-47 in Auckland to improve to outright second place with four matches remaining in the round.
They had arrived in Auckland in a four-way tie for second with the Queensland Firebirds, Melbourne Vixens and New South Wales Swifts, four points adrift of the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic.
The under-performing Mystics provided stiffer than expected opposition which belied their lowly eighth placing.
Adelaide were forced to wait until the last quarter before gaining a decisive lead to edge out to 44-40 with eight minutes remaining.
The Mystics were seemingly set to pull off an upset when walking from the court up 39-37 at the end of the third quarter only to see the Thunderbirds sink seven goals in succession to grab the ascendancy.
Even then the Auckland-based team refused to give in, hitting back with five consecutive goals of their own to tie the scores at 45-45 with 4min remaining.
The Mystics then found themselves in front 46-45 but a turning point came when a regulation shot at goal was missed by Mystics goal shoot Cathrine Latu.
The ball was quickly turned over, Thunderbirds goal attack Natalie Medhurst found her target at the other end and the visitors had the centre pass.
They again made the most of their possession then held on grimly.
Medhurst was inspirational for the Thunderbirds, at one stage sinking 11 successive goals in the first half when Mystics goal keep Vilimaina Davu heavily marked her attacking partner Kate Beveridge.
The taller Beveridge had a quiet game thanks to Davu but Medhurst was more than capable, ending with 28 goals from 32 attempts to lead her team's scoring.
Beveridge shot at 80 per cent in converting 20 off her 25 attempts while.
Latu had a fine match, save from that crucial miss.
She shot at 94 per cent in sinking 31 of her 33 attempts, while Grace Rasmussen sunk 11 of 18 and Jade Topia, who was used in the third quarter only, had five from seven.
The Mystics were superbly served by defender Sheryl Scanlan while captain and centre Temepara George gave her all.
Thunderbirds captain Natalie von Bertouch said the result owed much to her players' determination.
"We held our nerve to the every end and that's what got us over the line," she told Sky Sport.
"It is such a tight tussle for the finals that every game is so vital.
It was the Mystics' seventh loss, leaving George a disconsolate figure.
"It was there for the taking but we folded under pressure," George said.
"We got a lot of ball but we couldn't finish off at our attack end. That has haunted us all season.
"It's just individual mistakes, little things we don't do well, and we need to look at ourselves in the mirror."
- NZPA
