Winless no more. The Central Pulse ended their drought in the trans-Tasman netball league with a nail-biting 53-52 victory over defending champions NSW Swifts at Porirua last night.
The Pulse gained a point last season when their match against West Coast Fever was cancelled because of a leaky roof in Perth but their win last night was well-deserved.
The struggling Swifts, with just two wins this season, are a shadow of the side that won the championship last year and, as the Pulse grew stronger, the visitors cracked under the pressure.
With Paula Griffin, 35 from 39, producing her best shooting game of the season, the Pulse leapt out to a 49-45 lead early in the final quarter and, apart from a couple of hiccups, defended their lead staunchly.
Home skipper Cushla Lichtwark was an inspiration, her never-say-die spirit transferred to her teammates in the crucial final minutes.
"Obviously, we have learned from our mistakes and put it into practice tonight," Lichtwark said.
"It certainly feels better than being on the other side of the scoreboard and we have to try and make it happen more often."
Swifts skipper Catherine Cox, kept in check by Jamaican defender Althea Byfield in the final quarter, said the Pulse had made it count when they needed too.
"That's been a big issue for us this season - we get five or six up and let it slide - but it takes nothing away from them, they played a great game."
The first hint of a new-found steel in the Pulse was seen when they fought back from four goals down in the first quarter to level the scores at 15-15 when it ended.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern, the Pulse falling behind by five goals, but the Swifts unable to shake them off, going into the halftime breather ahead by just one, 28-27.
The Pulse then led 37-35 at one point in the third quarter only to see the Swifts draw level 41-41 after a couple of errors gifted the opposition the ball.
But with Griffin and Kibble gobbling up every chance they got, the Pulse leaped out to a 49-45 lead early in the final stanza, and this time, there was no reining them in.
WELLINGTON NZPA
