LG Mystics Score Win At The Death

It took until the dying minutes of the match, but the LG Mystics finished with a win against the Canterbury Tactix 47-46 in the ANZ Championship netball match at the Trusts Stadium in Auckland on Monday night.

Going into the match the sides had records of two wins and five losses apiece and it was the visitors who looked like winning the battle to get a third win throughout the game before some stubborn play from the Mystics gained the victory.

Never far off the pace, the Mystics were let down by poor finishing before finding a semblance of composure when it mattered to sink the all-important late goals.

The Mystics opted to start with Jade Topia at goal shoot ahead of Cathrine Latu while the Tactix retained a settled line-up. However it was the home side which kept gaining the intercepts in defense with Vili Davu and Steph Bond putting in strong showings for the ball to be thrown away with some loose passing at the other end of the court.

The visitors showed the better accuracy to hold the edge through the opening exchanges with both sides making a number of basic errors. Some intelligent play from goal attack Anna Thompson, who was well supported by Jodi Brown under the hoop, gave the Tactix a handy 14-9 first quarter lead.

In catch-up mode, it was the Mystics who made the best of their opportunities on the back of some solid play from inspiring captain Temepara George and slick moving from England import Pamela Cookey. The combination between the midcourt maestro and the athletic goal attack continues to grow each week.

Introduced late in the quarter, Latu stamped some authority as she made an impact as she provided a strong target for the Mystics attackers.

A late goal provided the Tactix a tenuous 25-24 halftime lead but it was the Mystics who ensured the match would remain tight.

The unpredictability of both sides made for a dogged third quarter with passages of clinical play blighted by a host of turnovers. The ball swung wildly back and forth at times with neither team able to score the goals.

The better shooting percentages of Brown and Thompson resulted in a handy 39-34 buffer going into the last break.

It was more of the same in the final stanza as the Mystics fought back in front of noisy capacity crowd with George, Cookey and Davu providing the impetus to lift the home team off the boards to stay in the race.

With the Mystics confidence riding high, it was the Tactix who buckled. The home team made a strong run to reel in the deficit and tie the scores up with just under three minutes remaining.

The Mystics held their composure in a tense final couple of minutes as the Tactix, not for the first time this season, let a win slip through their fingertips.

The Mystics next game is in Adelaide against the Thunderbirds on Saturday 6 June.