ANZ Premiership: Central Pulse continue season revival with win over Magic

The defending champion Central Pulse have secured consecutive wins for the first time this season to continue their move up the ANZ netball Premiership points table.

It took a late flurry of goals in the third quarter to help set up the 64-53 win over the Magic in Wellington, and they now sit in third place on the ladder.

The 11-goal victory also broke the deadlock of 15-games apiece between the two teams and will be a confidence boost for the Pulse heading into the second half of the competition - backing up from the win over the Robinhood Stars last week.

It was a big night for Magic captain Sam Winders who marked her 100th national league match.

Again shooting let the Magic down, they ended with just two fewer attempts at goal than the Pulse but slipped with their radar, netting 76 per cent of their 69 shots at goal.

Earlier, Southern Steel have picked up a crucial 63-58 ANZ Premiership victory over second-placed Northern Mystics at Trusts Arena in Auckland. 

The Steel have been inconsistent in 2021 and were looking to bounce back from a 10-point hiding by the Tactix.

Northern Mystics veteran Bailey Mes was playing her 100th national league game but her side couldn't continue their fine form as they dropped their  third game of the campaign and a chance to move clear at the top of the table. 

The Steel were led by English shooter George Fisher who shot 47/52 and captain Shannon Saunders distribution as the Southerners improved their playoff hopes with the crucial victory.

The visitors came out on fire as they pounced on the Mystics eight turnovers in the opening quarter to open up a six-goal (17-11) advantage. 

Fisher was the catalyst to the southerners fast start racking up 25 goals from 27 attempts as her side took a 32-26 lead into halftime. 

The contest continued to ebb and flow as the Mystics made several small runs in the third stanza but couldn't make any headway into the Steel's lead to trail 50-43 with 15-minutes to play. 

The Steel were clinical when it mattered most as they shot 13/16 in the final quarter and claimed 57 percent of possession as they tried to wind down the clock. 

The Mystics had opportunities to close the gap but six missed shots meant the visitors were able to claim a five-goal victory. 

The result sees the southerns claim their fourth win of the season and join the Central Pulse on 12 points while the Mystics remain level with the Northern Stars on 15 points.

RNZ