MAGIC 63, SWIFTS 45

A crushing first quarter and another perfect performance by the still-extraordinary Irene van Dyk gave Colourplus Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic long-awaited revenge over defending ANZ champions, NSW Swifts, winning 63-45 tonight.

In a feisty and physical re-match of last year’s ANZ Championship grand final, Magic gave an almost complete performance against a NSW side swiftly depleted by accident and injury. The Swifts return to Australia tomorrow with back-to-back losses and a worrying injury list.

Magic’s three shooters during the match put up a near-perfect game, missing only two shots from 65 attempts, with goal shoot Irene van Dyk once again shooting 100 percent with her 45-goal bag.

Magic coach Noeline Taurua faced a mid-week dilemma trying to decide where to put Casey Williams against the Swifts – whether to play her at her traditional goal keep face-to-face with her nemesis, Swifts shooter Catherine Cox, or allow her to range freely at goal defence, the position she has comfortably slotted into so far this season.

When it came to game-time, Williams found herself in the familiar goal keep spot, supported by Jodi Tod in the circle, and the Silver Ferns defender quickly reassured Taurua it was the best decision, eventually taking 50 percent of the Magic’s intercepts in the game.

Swifts captain Cox left the game on the verge of half-time with an ankle injury, not long after goal defence Rebecca Bulley was sidelined with a gash above her eye. Cox acknowledged her side were outplayed from the start, and blamed “too many brain snaps” when her team consistently put the ball into the air where the Magic pulled it in. 

Nervous hands saw four turnovers in the first minute of the game, and a huge cheer of relief from the crowd went up when van Dyk put the first point on the board, and then added two more to give the Magic a little headstart. Goal attack Maria Tutaia was full of confidence with her shooting and help propel the Magic to a seven-goal advantage after 10 minutes.

Both teams put up ferocious defence through court, but Williams was unstoppable, time after time snatching ball destined for Cox and Susan Pratley. At the end of an astounding first quarter, Magic led the defending champions by 12 goals, 19-7.

Looking concerned, Julie Fitzgerald made one change at the break, switching wing attack Vanessa Ware and centre Kimberlee Green. The Swifts were shaken within seconds of the restart, when goal defence Bulley gashed her head falling heavily on the wooden floor after a collision with van Dyk. Kimberley Smith moved from wing defence to replace Bulley, who needed stitches, while AIS graduate Samantha May came off the bench and gave a solid effort.

The Swifts were fired-up in the second spell, closing the gap to nine, but another set of blinding intercepts from Williams, and intense pressure from the Magic defence, kept the home side in control.

Laura Langman was on song at centre for Magic, both defensively and with her feeding to van Dyk and Tutaia, who grew with confidence as the gulf between the two giants got wider. Neither Magic shooter missed a shot in the first half.

Within two minutes of halftime, the Swifts’ efforts were further frustrated when Cox went over on her left ankle, forced to retire to the sideline. As Erin Bell took her place at goal shoot, the Swifts faced a 32-19 deficit going into the second half. 

After all her side’s misfortune, Fitzgerald was heartened by their recovery from a “very disappointing start”, losing the second quarter by only one. On the bench next door, Taurua told her team at the break to keep it tight through the third quarter, so they could “open up” in the final 15 minutes. 

The Magic extended out to 18, when Pratley took a heavy fall in yet another tangle. But she braved it out and continued to shoot strongly for the Swifts. But the New South Wales side struggled to get the ball into Pratley’s hands, while a self-assured Magic attack could hardly put a pass wrong.

Leading 48-32 into the fourth spell, Taurua had the luxury of injecting fresh legs into the Magic side – former Silver Ferns Leana de Bruin and Jess Tuki coming on at goal defence and goal attack respectively, and Nicola Pettit having an impressive run at centre.

The Swifts’ shooters were on target when they got the ball, shooting with 88 percent accuracy, but the ball was almost a rarity in their hands.