Netball: Semifinals outsiders under stress

10.00pm - by JULIE ASH

With two rounds left in the national league, the Sting and Force are assured of semifinal spots and the Flames and Shakers are closing in on the other two places.

The Southern Sting are now at the top of the table with 24 points after their 77-41 win over the Western Flyers.

North Harbour's Force are three points behind the Sting after sitting out the weekend's round with a bye.

The Canterbury Flames beat the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 59-44 to retain third spot on the table with 17 points and have to win one of their last two games - against the Sting and the Flyers - to secure a semifinal spot.

The Otago Rebels moved into fourth with 13 points after crushing the Counties Manukau Cometz 56-39 today.

The Capital Shakers edged out the Diamonds 52-51 on Saturday night to join the Aucklanders and the Magic on 12 points.

The Shakers, facing the Flyers and the Cometz in their last two games, have the easiest road to the semis. The Magic have a bye this weekend and then face the Sting; the Rebels are up against the Diamonds and the Force.

Rebels coach Lois Muir said her side were not being distracted by top-four hype.

"We are just focusing on what we are doing at the moment. We have to rely too much on other people's results now," she said. "But we are opportunists, we are in with a chance."

For the Flyers and Cometz, the semifinals are now out of reach.

The Diamonds are almost in the same category. The only way they can secure an extension to their season is to beat the Rebels and then hope that the Shakers lose to the Flyers and the Cometz and the Sting beat the Magic.

With a bye in the final round, the Diamonds had to beat the Shakers to keep their top-four hopes alive.

The Shakers led at every quarter and had extended their lead to eight in the last quarter before the Diamonds fought back.

The score was locked at 51-all in the dying moments and the Diamonds had several chances to win, but bad passes let them down.

Frustrated Diamonds coach Georgina Salter said her team had only themselves to blame.

"It is very disappointing," she said. "Unfortunately we messed up on attack."

Shaker coach Tanya Dearns gave a huge sigh of relief after her side's narrow victory.

"I think we let the some of the calls that went against us get to us," she said.

"We became too careful with the ball and we got away from the game plan a bit."

Her side will have to brush up on the basics before their final two matches.

"We stepped, we broke, we threw the ball to people who were marked and standing still - just silly stuff.

"No game is easy, and we have to go into the next two weeks with that in mind and show our opposition the kind of respect they deserve."