Mystics end Pulse’s unbeaten run
The Northern Mystics have breathed life into the national netball premiership, toppling the previously undefeated Central Pulse in round six, thanks to a clutch goal by Bailey Mes in the final seconds.
The Silver Ferns shooter sank the winner as she tumbled out of bounds after grabbing the rebound when Maria Folau’s attempt was off.
As a result, the Mystics won 52-51 on Sunday, a week after going down 60-38 to the same opponents in round five.
In the day’s other two matches, the Southern Steel beat the Northern Stars by three, 63-60, a week after beating them by two, and the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic beat the Tactix by one, 48-47, four days after beating them by seven, 55-48.
Those results meant nothing changed on the ladder, where the Pulse remain out in front, with the Steel and the Tactix the others in the top three, though the Mystics are in fourth only on goal percentage.
It was the final offering between the Mystics and the Pulse that was the most exciting of the day at Horncastle Arena in Christchurch, the venue for the second Super Sunday tripleheader of the season.
The Mystics had Silver Ferns shooter Folau in their ranks, which they didn’t last week, and they gave the Pulse a contest like no-one else has so far this season, forcing rare mistakes from them in the shooting circle, and capitalising to turn a three-goal deficit at halftime into a fourgoal lead by the end of the third quarter.
Mystics captain Anna Harri- son was a menace defensively, but the Pulse hung in there, and rallied to bring the scores level late, and were just seconds away from forcing extra time when Mes came up trumps.
ANZ Premiership, round six: Northern Mystics 52
(Bailey Mes 23/26, Jamie Hume 7/9, Maria Folau 22/25) (Aliyah Dunn 35/39, Tiana Metuarau 10/11, Ameliaranne Ekenasio 6/10). 12-12; 23-26; 40-36
Pulse 51 47 60 Q1: Q1: HT: Southern Steel 63 HT: Central Q1: HT: Q3: Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic 48
(Lenize Potgieter 34/41, Monica Falkner 12/12, Amorangi Malesala 2/3)
(Ellie Bird 32/47, Kate Beveridge 5/7, Brooke Leaver 10/16). 13-10; 28-22; 38-36
Mainland Tactix Points (games played): Q3:
(Jennifer O’Connell 37/44, Te Paea SelbyRickit 26/29)
(Maia Wilson 38/46, Paula Griffin 12/14, Ellen Halpenny 10/13). 18-18, 33-30; 50-45
Northern Stars Q3:
Pulse 12 (7), Steel 10 (7), Tactix 8 (7), Mystics 8 (7), Magic 7 (6), Stars 4 (6).