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The Adelaide Thunderbirds will play for a spot in the trans Tasman netball grand final after ending the Southern Steel’s season with a 51-45 minor semi-final win at ETSA Park on Monday night.
The Steel will go back to New Zealand without a win across the Tasman in 2009 while the Thunderbirds are go for a preliminary final match-up against Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic on Sunday.
After suffering a 58-49 loss to the Steel in Dunedin two weeks ago the Thunderbirds were fired up for revenge on their home court when it mattered most.
In one of the most aggressive games of the season, the Thunderbirds were leading by just one goal at quarter time and fought to open the margin to five goals by the main break.
The worked hard to slow down the play but the Thunderbirds proved to be the fitter team on the night.
Thunderbirds captain Natalie von Bertouch was a standout while defenders Mo’onia Gerrard and Geva Mentor held the Steel’s Australian grown threat, Megan Dehn, to account, intercepting plenty of ball meant for the former Test shooter’s hands.
Once the ball got to Dehn and fellow Steel shooter, Donna Wilkins, the duo proved to be in fine touch, scoring 45 goals from 51 attempts.
Thunderbirds shooters Kate Beveridge and Natalie Medhurst showed composure against one of the fiercest goal keepers in the competition, Megan Hutton, achieving a shooting average of 89.4 per cent.
The last time the Thunderbirds met Magic, the Adelaide side thrashed them by 19-goals.
The Magic had gone down 58-43 to the Melbourne Vixens in the major semi-final on Sunday.
Thunderbirds coach Jane Woodlands-Thompson said said her team would take a lot of confidence from their 19-goal win against the Magic in the regular season last week as well as Monday night’s victory over the Steel.
“The (Steel) ramped up their attack, but Beveridge and Medhurst were very, very cool under pressure,” she said.
“We can cut it under pressure and … I think the time is right to take (Magic) on in their own territory.”
Steel coach Robyn Broughton wasn’t so sure the Thunderbirds could do a job on the Magic in New Zealand though.
“They’ll struggle there I think … it’s going to be a tough ask,” she said.