IN their second game of the round it was the Mainland Tactix that notched up their seventh win of the season, getting the job done comfortably against Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic (44-35). The Tactix held control from start to finish despite a couple of flourishes from the Magic to solidify second spot on the ladder.

It was a relatively even start to the game before the Tactix kicked into gear and really found their rhythm in attack. Their dazzling speed in transition caught the Magic defence off guard multiple times with Waikato Bay of Plenty struggling to keep up with their quick ball movement. Goal shooter Ellie Bird picked up where she left off, finding the front space with ease time and time again and not missing a single shot in the first quarter of play. With Bird firing on all cylinders early, the efforts of her goaling counterpart Te Paea Selby-Rickit did not go unnoticed as she plied her trade to post with six straight goals and her clever ball placement into the goal circle. Her ability to outrun Erena Mikaere at every turn and force the Magic defenders into one-on-ones in the circle gave the Tactix the upper hand under the post.

Up the other end the Tactix defence wowed, nullifying the Magic shooters at the post with Jane Watson and Temalisi Fakahokotau applying a wealth of pressure to force the goalers off balance and into turnovers. Their constant attack and ability to convert off turnovers gifted the Tactix with a three goal lead, steadily building on it as the game went on. Their smooth transition down court was aided by Watson’s drive through the midcourt providing an additional option to bolster the Tactix attack. Nailing three goals in a row the Tactix enhanced their lead to five as they maintained full control across the court heading into the quarter time break.

Sam Winders kickstarted the action in the second quarter with Abigail Latu-Meafou landing the first goal to get back within four goals. Increased defensive pressure from the Magic shut down Tactix movement at the centre pass, making them work for every single pass. But it was Mainland Tactix centre Kimiora Poi who inserted herself into the action in defence picking up an impressive intercept, capitalising on the stagnant Magic attack. With Bird and Selby-Rickit continuing their scintillating form Georgia Tong stamped her authority on the game with the goal keeper providing a spark in defence to hunt the ball and create timely tips.

Wing defence Charlotte Elley upped the ante in defence to reduce the impact of Whitney Souness around circle edge, using her three foot marking to block her vision into the goalers. Elley combined seamlessly with Poi through the middle as the centre had a field day using her speed to hit the circle edge with precision and accuracy to deliver into the goalers. The connections across the court for the Tactix were impressive as Erikana Pedersen and Selby-Rickit appeared to have the ball on a string, receiving every second pass. With the lead out to as much as eight goals the Magic rallied in the final couple of minutes nailing three consecutive goals as Holly Fowler sparked her side into action with her tenacity and rangy arms. Their increased intensity across the court saw the Magic steal the momentum from the Tactix and reduce the margin to five goals at half time.

It was goal for goal in the opening couple of minutes as both sides wrestled for continuity and momentum to start the third term. After going at 100 per cent in the opening half playmaker and Tactix goal attack, Selby-Rickit missed her first shot of the game however the Magic failed to capitalise on their opportunities and make them pay as Watson proved to be a real menace in the goal circle. The shaky start to the term continued as the ball ping ponged up and down the court thanks to errant passes and sloppy hands. Relatively well held for the first two quarters, Souness came out with a real fire in the belly and intensity using her speed to dart around the attacking third and sight Kelsey McPhee under the post. The towering goaler came into the game more as Souness and Latu-Meafou lifted around her to deliver the ball on a silver platter. With the three working in tandem the Magic cut the deficit to three goals and looked to be a real threat.

With McPhee finding her mojo under the post, Tong showcased her class and excitement up the other end as the defender gobbled up a huge intercept. Tong’s increased aerial presence allowed her to shut down Bird at the post stifling the Tactix movement in attack and creating headaches for the second placed team. But Magic were not done yet, piling on the pressure through the midcourt and hitting the circle edge with great precision. A breaking call from Selby-Rickit at the Tactix centre pass gave the Magic a chance to level scores, something they had not been able to do since the opening stages of the game. Ruing her mistake, Selby-Rickit got to work in the last minute of the game to nail back to back goals and re-establish a two goal lead.

Only separated by two goals the Tactix were eager to hold onto their lead and notch up another win as Elley backed up the efforts of Watson and Fakahokotau around circle edge before moving to the bench. Samon Nathan provided a different element in defence as the Tactix looked to put the foot down despite the best efforts of Magic captain Winders. A scrappy couple of minutes of play from both sides saw them struggled to convert and cleanly transition the ball down the court but in the end it was the Tacitx that showed their class to run away with a nine goal win.

Bird was a strong force at the post for the Tactix sinking 26 goals from 30 attempts while Selby-Rickit plied her trade both out the front with 15 goal assists and on the scoreboard with 16 goals. For the Magic, Latu-Meafou imposed herself at the post nailing 18 goals while McPhee had a commanding influence with 17 goals from 22 attempts. Through the midcourt Pedersen was unbeatable with the wing attack registering 15 feeds while Souness collected 16 for the Magic. But it was once again the defensive combination of Fakahokotau and Watson that caused chaos with the duo amassing 16 deflections and three gains.

>>> MAGIC TEAM PAGE

>>> TACTIX TEAM PAGE

>>> FULL MATCH STATS

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WAIKATO BAY OF PLENTY MAGIC 10 | 10 | 12 | 3 (35)
MAINLAND TACTIX 15 | 10 | 9 | 10 (44)

STARTING SEVEN

Magic

GS: Kelsey McPhee
GA: Abigail Latu-Meafou
WA: Whitney Souness
C: Sam Winders
WD: Holly Fowler
GD: Erena Mikaere
GK: Georgia Tong

Tactix

GS: Ellie Bird
GA: Te Paea Selby-Rickit
WA: Erikana Pedersen
C: Kimiora Poi
WD: Charlotte Elley
GD: Jane Watsion
GK: Temalisi Fakahokotau