Fever survive another thriller to remain undefeated
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THE West Coast Fever have survived another close game – their second in as many weeks – to remain undefeated this Suncorp Super Netball season.
This time defeating the GIANTS 74 goals to 73, they weathered one hell of a final quarter come back from the GIANTS to take the win.
The teams initially went goal for goal, before a Jess Anstiss master intercept saw the Fever pinch a goal off a GIANTS centre before their hosts could do the same to them.
However they were unable to consolidate their lead after an April Brandley tip saw the GIANTS then convert off the very next centre pass.
It then returned to a goal for goal affair, with the slightest error all that was needed to open things up.
It took more than half the quarter, but finally it was the GIANTS who earned the first multi goal lead of the match, but it did not last long as the Fever levelled up again within a minute.
Both sides were nailing super shots from the get go, but the furthest apart the sides got was only four goals.
However, thanks to a late rally from the GANTS the margin was only one in West Coast’s favour at the first change.
After the two sides initially traded blows to start the second term, it was the Fever who first established a bit of a lead for themselves, which got out to as much as seven goals before the Power Five.
Wayward passes in attack did not help the GIANTS at all as the Fever were able to extend their lead into double digits.
However in the final two minutes of the quarter the script completely flipped. The GIANTS nailed three straight super shots to bring the margin back down to four.
The Fever then stemmed the bleeding slightly, but another Super Shot from the GIANTS saw the margin sit at three in favour of the Fever at the main break.
The Fever got the better start to the second half, but the GIANTS quickly countered to return the margin to where it was at half time.
West Coach then regained momentum, and regrew their lead to as much as seven goals, but by the time the Power Five period hit the margin was back to four. However the Fever then regained momentum and took the margin back out to a game high 11 goals.
Some key missed Super Shots from the GIANTS meant that the margin sat at 11 goals at the final change.
Right from the get go, the home side slowly but surely crept their way back into the match.
They got it down to a margin of six goals, but by the time the Power Five hit the margin was down to four goals.
The GIANTS kept landing the Super Shots, and with one and a half minutes to go, the margin was down to one, and with 40 seconds to go the scores were dead even.
With 20 seconds to go the Fever scored a goal, and thanks to another clever tip from Anstiss the GIANTS were denied one final chance to respond.
Jhaniele Fowler was superb again, nailing 59 goals from 59 attempts, while Courtney Bruce (eight gains, five deflections, three rebounds and three intercepts) and Anstiss (three deflections, three gains, two intercepts, six assists, seven feeds) were also stellar in defence.
Meanwhile Amy Parmenter (five deflections, three intercepts, three gains) was in everything in mid court for the GIANTS, while Jo Harten and Sophie Dwyer landed a whopping 15 Super Shots between them.
GIANTS NETBALL 20 | 17 | 15 | 21 (73)
WEST COAST FEVER 21 | 19 | 23 | 11 (74)
STARTING SEVENS
GIANTS Netball:
GS: Jo Harten
GA: Sophie Dwyer
WA: Maddie Hay
C: Jamie-Lee Price
WD: Amy Parmenter
GD: April Brandley
GK: Tilly McDonnell
West Coast Fever
GS: Jhaniele Fowler
GA: Sasha Glasgow
WA: Alice Teague-Neeld
C: Verity Simmons
WD: Jess Anstiss
GD: Sunday Aryang
GK: Courtney Bruce