Firebirds outclass Magic on way to Preliminary Final
Finishing fourth in the regular season, Firebirds were superior across the court against the third-placed Magic as they booked themselves a showdown with Melbourne Vixens to decide who will face Adelaide Thunderbirds in the Grand Final.
Clinically efficient from the outset, Firebirds stamped their mark early, maintaining their intensity from start to finish as they kept Magic on the back foot. The visitors did little wrong after a sizzling start from which Magic never recovered.
The defending champions with coach Noeline Taurua at the helm for the last time, never found their rhythm or flow, hesitancy and lack of accuracy counting heavily against them in the end.
Firebirds had few problems finding their key target, Romelda Aiken, under the hoop, the 1.96m shooter leaving her mark with a strike rate of 41 goals from 47 attempts as the visitors rebounded from their extra time loss to the same opponents earlier in the season but winning the one which counted most.
Both teams presented with predictable line-ups, Magic retaining their winning seven of the previous five weeks while Gabrielle Simpson and Demelza McCloud got the nod at wing defence and goal defence respectively for Firebirds.
Firebirds got away to an explosive start, Magic unable to match their intensity and accuracy as the visitors scored the first six goals. The home team made a hesitant and messy start, wilting under the Firebirds onslaught in taking five minutes to post their first goal.
The Firebirds transition through court was seamless, livewire attacker Chelsea Pitman finding an easy path to her towering shooter Romelda Aiken. Full court pressure also challenged every Magic move as the home team stalled in their attacking momentum with Firebirds captain Laura Geitz featuring prominently with a string of intercepts.
With twice as much ball, it was a rampant Firebirds who hit the first break well in control at 13-8.
Quick scoring got Magic back to within three on the resumption but they could not sustain their momentum, their flow and rhythm breaking down time and again under the constant pressure.
The visitors pushed out to a seven-goal lead before Magic made their move in the second half of the stanza. Still making heavy work through court, Magic showed greater resolve on defence as they forced their opposites into error.
The turnover ball presented Magic with extra opportunities, a late surge helping them claw their way back into the game and closing to within one as Firebirds took a 25-24 lead into the main break.
The tough and unrelenting contest continued unabated, Firebirds breezing to another cracking start as they scored the first four goals on the restart.
Playmaker Natalie Medhurst was an influential figure for the visitors, controlling the visitors’ play on attack as they continued to impress with their ability to score quickly.
Conversely, Magic were slow and laborious through court, struggling for most parts to thread the ball through on attack as they were constantly held up by a swarming Firebirds wall of defence.
It was not a pretty contest, plenty of whistle involved as players were constantly penalised, Firebirds making better use of their turnovers to take a deserved 41-36 lead at the last break. Firebirds continued to hold the upper hand in the run home, Magic simply unable to make an impression on the five-goal difference until the final few minutes when the contest was by then beyond doubt.
