NSW Swifts force Sunshine Coast Lightning into sudden-death final
The Swifts have underlined their premiership credentials with a five-point win over fellow finals-bound side the Sunshine Coast Lightning.
Sunshine Coast Lightning have been pitched into a sudden-death final to keep their Super Netball season alive after an understrength side suffered a 69-64 loss to the NSW Swifts.
Heading into the match without talisman Steph Wood, the Lightning fell to a 5-0 deficit in the opening minutes and things improved little from there, with the final score flattering them.
Down by 15 goals at one stage in the second term, the Lightning tightened their defence in the second half of the match and clawed the margin back to 10 goals at the final break.
A late super shot flurry from Cara Koenen and Binian Hunt made things interesting in the final minutes, with the margin just five points after Hunt hit her two-point goal with just over two minutes remaining.
But the Lightning were left to rue their poor start and a raft of simple errors throughout the game.
Many thought the retirement of legendary midcourter Laura Langman at the end of last season would have a huge effect on the Lightning but they have coped well with her absence, in large part due to the game smarts of Wood.
While the Diamonds squad member is a goaler, she’s the Lightning’s on-court general and a barometer for the team’s performance.
Generally when Wood’s on, the Lightning fire, while the team can struggle if she’s misfiring or, as occasionally happens, is rankled by the opposition.
The 29-year-old was given until Saturday morning to prove her fitness such is her importance to the team.
But Byrne had made it clear before the match she was not willing to risk her star shooter’s chances of participating in the finals and erred on the side of caution.
“There’s a bit more of a bigger picture than just (Saturday’s) game,” Byrne said on match eve.
“If we do put her out there tomorrow it’s got to be a decision made on what it means for her going into the next few weeks.”
The Lightning will face West Coast Fever in Saturday’s knockout semi-final after the favourites were beaten by an understrength Giants Netball side in the final fixture of the season.
The top four teams headed into the final weekend of the regular season locked on 32 points, with a quirk in the draw meaning they would play each other to decide the make-up of the finals.
Regardless of their opposition the Lightning need to work on their own backyard, with coach Byrne shuffling her line-up throughout the match to try and find a combination that was working for her.
Regular goalkeeper Phumza Maweni was rested after being constantly stuck behind dominant Swifts shooter Sam Wallace, while goaler Peace Proscovia was benched after the Lightning decided to push Koenen back to goal shooter rather than keep her out at goal attack.
Koenen was a shining light for the Lightning in both positions – her workrate among the best from players on either side – and she will be a key if the Lightning are to push on and make a fourth Super Netball grand final.
NSW SWIFTS 69 (Wallace 50, Housby 18, Garbin 1)
SUNSHINE COAST LIGHTNING 64 (Koenen 39, Proscovia 17, Hunt 8)
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