THE hotly anticipated top of the table clash turned into a nightmare for the Northern Mystics, after a troublesome first half left them to chase the title favourites, Central Pulse for the remainder of the game. Off the back of a tough game against the Stars, fatigue seems to play a role for the Northern side. The Pulse, on the other hand, extended their winning streak to seven and it raises the question: Will anyone beat the Central Pulse this season? As we get towards the business end of the season, it is looking unlikely, especially after this convincing 44-38 win against the Mystics.

Both of these sides have heaps of talented players across all areas of the court. Before the game the matchup between Silver Ferns Phoenix Karaka and Ameliaranne Ekenasio was touted as the one to watch, however, the midcourt was the more crucial sticking point in this game, with the Mystics coming off worse. After a poor start to the game for the Mystics, with players lacking energy and giving away cheap turnover ball, they went down 4-1 in the opening few minutes and the quarter only got worse from there.

The defensive trio of Katrina Rore, Kelly Jury and Karin Burger was smothering the Mystics attack, with Asher Grapes looking bewildered and struggling to set up play. Pulse were forcing the Mystics wide from the start, creating turnovers, and then transitioning rapidly into attack leaving the Mystics trailing behind them. The combination of Maddy Gordon, Ekenasio and Aliyah Dunn was really firing, they were finding each other easily with impeccable timing.

The Mystics defenders did not manage to secure a single one of the three rebounds in the opening quarter, and the combination of Karaka and Sulu Fitzpatrick looked unusually flat. The Pulse stormed out to an 11-3 lead and it became apparent that the Mystics needed a serious shakeup in the attack end. It was surprising to see Grapes get the start when she has struggled to make an impact on the scoreboard in previous games. Both teams were guilty of a few long bombs over the baseline and sloppy errors, but the Pulse had the score on their side and ended the quarter 13-5 after a shocking display from the Mystics.

In the second quarter, the change came for the Mystics, with Saviour Tui on in goal attack. She started to find good space and had confidence in the feed over the top to Grace Nweke. As the quarter progressed, Pulse pulled further ahead and the scoreline was starting to blow out. All seven players on the Pulse team were defending every inch of the court and were hungry for the ball, and when the wing attack begins to pick up intercepts in the second quarter, it showed how much the Pulse were doing right.

Claire Kersten was having a fantastic game in centre and really showing up talented youngster Tayla Earle. Frustration was written all over the Mystics as they trailed by twelve goals, and Peta Toeava was being completely shut down by the work of Burger. Another change by the Mystics saw Emma Iversen slot into wing attack, but it was clear that they were being outclassed by the Pulse.

At half-time they were down 27-13, and the reigning champions were all smiles heading into the break, knowing they had stamped their authority on the game and the competition. The stats tell the clear tale of the first half for the Mystics – no rebounds, no interceptions and a massive fifteen turnovers. The Pulse defense were taking advantage of some tired Mystics legs, running them down with close man-on marking, using their experience to outwit the young Mystics attack end.

After the break, it was more of the same for the Mystics. Burger was creating herself a highlight reel and the Mystics attack end had no answer. Courtney Elliot came on to replace Emily Burgess, in an attempt to shut down Gordon who was causing havoc in the midcourt. Pulse were picking off any cross-court or pocket balls, making the Mystics have to work incredibly hard to transition down court. Tiana Metuarau replaced Gordon in wing attack and there was a sense the Pulse were starting to use their bench and think ahead to the next game. As the Pulse started to take their foot off the pedal late in the third quarter, things started to look a bit better for the Mystics. They managed to win the quarter 14-11 and it looked like the beginning of a huge comeback.

Fourth quarter changes saw Ellie Temu replace Jury in goal keeper and Metuarau slide into goal attack. The Mystics were still frustrated and error-ridden but had their sights set on a bonus point. The team started to come to life in the final term, and even though they couldn’t win they wanted to fight to take something away from the game. Fitzpatrick came alive and roared her side on to a seven-goal run, bringing them within four near the end of the quarter, and keeping the Pulse down to just six goals. After such a blowout in the first half, this represents the huge effort from the Mystics, but sadly this came too late and the final score was 44-38 to the Pulse, leaving them without a bonus point.

Unfortunately for the Mystics, they suffered from a little bit of 2019 West Coast Fever syndrome. They have an extremely threatening goal shooter in Nweke who shot 37/39, but they need someone else to slot in and support her with confidence. Tui has the accuracy and the ability, but after only shooting one goal in three quarters of a game, she was not able to get into her typical rhythm. She needs to be given the confidence that comes with being named in the starting seven, and from there will grow into a threatening option for the Mystics.

Pulse let themselves slip in the second half, and will be disappointed that the score doesn’t reflect how much they dominated in the opening two quarters. They also weren’t their usual selves in terms of shooting accuracy, only obtaining 75 per cent. They take on the Tactix next, while the Mystics rest up and prepare to redeem themselves against the Steel next weekend.

>>> PULSE TEAM PAGE

>>> MYSTICS TEAM PAGE

>>> FULL MATCH STATS

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CENTRAL PULSE 13 | 14 | 11 | 6 (44)
NORTHERN MYSTICS 5 | 8 | 14 | 11 (38)

STARTING SEVEN:

Central Pulse:

GS: Aliyah Dunn
GA: Ameliaranne Ekenasio
WA: Maddy Gordon
C: Claire Kersten
WD: Karin Burger
GD: Katrina Rore
GK: Kelly Jury

Northern Mystics:

GS: Grace Nweke
GA: Saviour Tui
WA: Peta Toeava
C: Tayla Earle
WD: Courtney Elliott
GD: Phoenix Karaka
GK: Sulu Fitzpatrick