Adelaide Thunderbirds repel late charging Tactix at the ANZ Netball Championships

Round 8, 2011

		Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
	Canterbury Tactix	14	26	41	56	56
	Adelaide Thunderbirds	17	35	50	59	59

Adelaide Thunderbirds kept their faint play-off hopes alive after holding out a fast-finishing Canterbury Tactix 59-56 in an abrasive clash in Christchurch today.

Thunderbirds maintained their perfect overall record against Tactix with a fourth straight success in a torrid battle which featured a staggering 169 penalties.

Well in control at three-quarter time, Thunderbirds were forced to fend off a late-charging home team who paid the price for slow starts in each quarter. Tactix enjoyed more shots at goal but were outdone by Thunderbirds Jamaican import Carla Borrego, who had an inspiring outing under the hoop to finish with 44 goals from 48 attempts.

Played at a furious pace, it was a tight and willing contest from the outset. Both teams muscled up on defence, providing a bevy of turnover ball and action aplenty.

Possession was evenly split with both teams having 17 attempts, the Thunderbirds just getting the upper hand at the first break through the superior shooting of the athletic Borrego and Erin Bell.

The pair returned a 100 percent accuracy rate to head the Tactix 17-14 after 15 minutes.

It was Thunderbirds who came out blazing on the restart, lifting to another level as they left Tactix trailing in their wake. Finding an easy passage through their attacking third, midcourters Natalie von Bertouch and Emily Beaton provided a pinpoint service to Borrego and Bell, who continued to pot goals at will.

The visitors swift and accurate transfer through court often left the Tactix players flat-footed, the home team unable to cope with their opponents fluency and speed. There was no lessening of intent at the other end, up-and-coming defenders Kate Shimmin and Sharni Layton putting the squeeze on Tactix shooters Anna Thompson and Donna Wilkins.

Finding little room to move and thwarted by the long reach of their defensive opponents, Tactix were guilty of too many turnovers as Thunderbirds skipped out to handy 35-26 halftime lead on the back of a fine 24 goals from 25 attempts by Borrego.

Looking to block the easy path to Borrego, Tactix rejigged their in-circle defensive combination with the introduction of Charlotte Kight and the little-played Jo Trip for Kasey Evering and Anna Galvan.

A noticeable lift from the home team provided the catalyst for a thrilling fight back. The slow-starting Wilkins revelled in her bruising contest with Layton, playing a prominent role as Tactix found more fluidity on attack.

The home teams surge, however, proved short-lived, Thunderbirds weathering the storm before producing a dominant burst of their own. Tactix could not maintain consistency, coughing up the ball in crucial situations as the visitors hit back with interest.

The difference remained Borrego, the 1.93m shooter enjoying a 10cm height advantage over Kight as the visitors regained their momentum to take a 50-41 lead into the last break.

The physical contest showed no signs of abating through a torrid run home, both teams throwing everything into a spirited contest as showcased by a mounting penalty count. However, it was Thunderbirds greater composure and finishing that ultimately decided the match.

Match Statistics

Goals / Attempts	56 / 68 (82.4 %)	59 / 66 (89.4 %)
Offensive Rebounds	4	4
Intercepts	4	4
Deflections	10	16
Contact Penalties	52	64
Obstruction Penalties	15	23
Turnovers	14	15
Bad Hands	1	2
Bad Passes	10	5

Canterbury Tactix

Adelaide Thunderbirds