It was a focussed Vixens side which headed to BrisbaneANZ keen to reverse the dramatic one-goal loss the Firebirds inflicted in Round 3.
Then the Vixens let a six-goal lead slip to lose in the last minute of play. They made certain there was to be no repeat as they led from start to finish on Monday night, notching up a 50-38 win.
Of the last six games between these two teams, five of them have been won by the travelling team and it proved to be the case again with the Vixens stamping their authority from the opening whistle.
The Firebirds have plenty of options in their defensive circle with coach Roselee Jencke opting for Clare McMeniman to team up with captain Laura Geitz.
But it was the pressure from their opponents at the other end of the court which was telling with the hosts having registered just three goals after eight minutes of play.
English import Geva Mentor was in menacing form for the Vixens causing plenty of confusion for the Firebirds’ feeders and forcing an increasingly frustrated Romelda Aiken into mistakes.
Costly errors with turnover ball stymied any chances of the Firebirds closing the gap in the first quarter and they trailed 15-6 at the break, forcing Jencke to go to the bench with Ameliaranne Wells replacing Amy Wild at goal attack.
The smothering defensive wall from the Vixens was hard for the Firebirds to penetrate, suffering greatly in their transition play onto attack. Further up court they were left little option but to throw and hope for the long limbs of shooter Romelda Aiken to haul the ball in.
It was only the shooting wobbles from Karyn Bailey and Tegan Caldwell early in the second spell which stopped the scoreline from blowing out beyond reach.
With 10 goals the difference, the Firebirds made further changes with Geitz and McMeniman swapping bibs while Verity Simmons moved to centre and Kim Ravaillion to wing attack.
It did little to stem the Vixens scoring opportunities and the misfiring Firebirds mid-court was guilty of attributing to the 14 turnovers in the first half.
The statistics were telling for the Firebirds with Aiken suffering as well putting up just 12 goals in the first half and netting only 10 of them.
The Vixens led 27-15 at the main break and surprisingly went to the bench with Catherine Cox replacing Bailey in the shooting circle while the Firebirds continued to search for the right mix in their combinations with Gabi Simpson coming on to centre, McMeniman moving to the wing and Jacinta Messer on at goal defence.
Wild also returned to the shooting circle for the hosts as they went about pegging back the difference.
Cox was an encouraging voice in the circle for the Vixens which lifted Caldwell in the third spell as the visitors consolidated their lead to go into the fourth quarter with a 41-25 buffer.
The tinkering in the Firebirds’ mid-court continued into the final 15 minutes of play with Nicola Gray picking up the wing attack bib, Simmons reclaiming the centre spot and Simpson to wing defence.
It proved their most successful combination with the hosts winning the spell 13-9.
