Adelaide Thunderbirds midcourter Beth Cobden has hurt her knee against Melbourne Vixens

Adelaide Thunderbirds star Beth Cobden has just returned from a knee reconstruction and she faces a nervous wait for scans after damaging her knee again in Saturday’s 42-58 loss to the Vixens.

Layla Guscoth of the Thunderbirds reaches for a wide pass in front of Kate Moloney of the Vixens. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Adelaide Thunderbirds midcourter Beth Cobden’s season and World Cup hopes for England have been dealt a crushing blow with fears she ruptured her ACL in the 42-58 loss to Melbourne Vixens in Mile End on Saturday.

Cobden, who had her second knee reconstruction in July last year, collapsed to the court early in the second quarter after landing awkwardly and she immediately grabbed her knee and called for medical attention.

The Commonwealth Games gold medallist will have scans on the left knee, while Thunderbirds co-captain Chelsea Pitman also faces tests after aggravating her calf in the second quarter.

Pitman had her pre-season disrupted by a calf injury after being hurt in the opening minutes of the first trial in Brisbane in March.

“Beth’s injury did not look good obviously,” Thunderbirds coach Tania Obst said. “We will get it scanned and see.

“Chelsea came up to me after the game and said she is feeling better already. I’m not sure what that means, she will have scans as well.”

In a repeat of the previous week’s loss to NSW Swifts, the Thunderbirds were highly competitive for the first quarter, only to be overwhelmed in the second period to put themselves well and truly behind the eight ball. They conceded the final five goals of the period against an extremely well-drilled Vixens outfit which has built stable combinations in recent years.

The third and fourth quarters had a similar pattern with the home side testing the patience of the Vixens, before coughing up quick goals to allow the deficit to grow.

“We had two or three minutes in each quarter, maybe a little more in the second, when we allow the opposition to dig into the lead and we are unable to hold them off,” Obst said.

“Maybe it an experience thing or more learning for us. It is more skill execution rather than not being able to play whatever is out there.

“Each quarter we were competitive and able to go for seven or eight minutes, then have a mistake and that costs you in this league.

“They are learning and I keep challenging them to come back and they did for most of those quarters. We did not allow it to blow out completely quarter by quarter and that showed a lot of character.”

The defensive circle combination of Shamera Sterling and Layla Guscoth was brilliant and made life difficult for the Vixens attack end, while Maria Folau worked tirelessly.

The Vixens, led superbly by former Thunderbirds captain Renae Ingles, were relentless and their usual consistent self.