IN an arm wrestle out west, Collingwood’s recent run of form has come to an end, going down to the West Coast Fever by five goals.

It was an entertaining battle in the first term.

It was goal for goal for much of the first half of the period, but the defensive pressure was also high, forcing errors from both sides.

The Magpies pinched a lead in the shadows of power five time, but the Fever pegged it back and the match returned to the goal for goal nature that characterised the opening stages.

Despite the Magpies’ best efforts to level things up at the first break, the Fever held a one-goal lead at quarter time.

The two sides went blow for blow again for almost all of the first five minutes of the second term, but then Collingwood pinched a lead and went about trying to build it.

That did not eventuate, as neither side could quite break away. As much as it was an even match, Jhaniele Fowler was doing the vast, vast majority of the shooting work for the Fever. It took until almost four minutes into the second term for Sasha Glasgow to nail her first goal of the game.

Not even an ill-fitting net could help split the sides, as proceedings went goal for goal for almost the rest of the second quarter. That was until, Sophie Garbin nailed the first super shot of the game with two and a half minutes left, to open up a slender lead for her side.

The Fever pegged it back late and retook a one goal lead again at half time, but it just felt like the ultimate result was by no means decided.

The Fever raced out to a three-goal lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but then the Magpies pegged it back, and suddenly the lead was gone just as quickly as it was built.

It was only minutes later before the Fever’s three-goal lead was back.

The Magpies kept chipping away at the lead though, and levelled things up with about two and a half minutes to go in the quarter.

A Glasgow super shot instigated a bit of a lead for the Fever, before Garbin shot one of her own with 20 seconds left in the term to see the Magpies take the lead.

Shimona Nelson solidified the lead to see the Pies take a two-goal lead into the final change.

The Fever made a few positional changes at the final break, in the hope that they were not behind for much longer.

It did not work initially as the Magpies raced out to a four goal lead within the opening five minutes of the term.

The Magpies held steady with a three to four goal lead for much of the term, and it was starting to look like they were finally going to break their losing streak against the Fever.

Then, things started to turn for the Fever.

It wasn’t long into the power five period before Glasgow landed another super shot and the score was dead even again.

Glasgow nailed yet another super shot to see the Fever retake the lead, and they stretched it out to five with 90 seconds to go.

Enter Nyah Allen.

The Pies shooter nailed a super shot with her first shot of the game and suddenly the margin was back down to three.

West Coast held on though and one final Glasgow super shot was the cherry on the cake for the home side.

Next week sees the Fever on the road to face the Lightning, while the Magpies are back at home hosting the Firebirds.

WEST COAST FEVER 17 | 19 | 16 | 22 (74)
COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES 16 | 19 | 19 | 15 (69)

STARTING SEVENS

West Coast Fever:

GS: Jhaniele Fowler
GA: Sasha Glasgow
WA: Alice Teague-Neeld
C: Verity Simmons
WD: Stacey Francis-Bayman
GD: Sunday Aryang
GK: Courtney Bruce

Collingwood Magpies:

GS: Shimona Nelson
GA: Sophie Garbin
WA: Kelsey Browne
C: Molly Jovic
WD: Ash Brazill
GD: Jodi-Ann Ward
GK: Geva Mentor