Collingwood Magpies lose 62-61 to Melbourne Vixens in Super Netball as West Coast Fever beat Giants 74-73
Collingwood Magpies coach Nicole Richardson has lashed out at Super Netball officials after claiming her side was ‘robbed’ by referee’s call in the final minutes of a tumultuous Melbourne derby .
Key Point:
- Magpies coach Nicole Richardson was furious with the umpire after losing by one point.
- In the final three minutes of the match, the referee gave Vixens two center passes in a row.
- Janiere Fowler went 59-59, including the winning goal, in the fever against the Giants.
Mwai Kumwenda hit a two-point shot after the final siren to cap off an unlikely fourth quarter comeback as the Melbourne Vixens recorded a 62-61 victory at John Kane Arena.
However, Richardson was upset after the game that the Vixens received two consecutive center passes in the final minutes.
“What happened in the last minute and a half is a fiasco,” Richardson told reporters.
“You can’t have results like that. This is an elite-level competition, and there are automatic scoreboards that show you whose center pass. There are benches that know exactly whose center pass, but the bench has no power to do anything about it.
“It just cost us the game. That’s why I’m mad.”
Richardson said both she and Magpie goal-attacker Sophie Garvin warned the referee, but they were “basically ignored.”
“We were completely robbed,” added Richardson.
The dramatic finale saw Kumwenda hastily reverse Sunday’s Derby clash in the closing stages, after the Magpies won each of the first three quarters and appeared to be picking up their second win of the season, before Vixens took the lead. Visited after stealing the results of
Kumwenda rocked the Magpies with four 2-point supershots after the Vixens trailed by 7 in less than five minutes, sealing the game after time expired despite cautions from multiple Collingwood defenders. Converted a shot to
After the Vixens beat the Magpies 21-14 in the fourth quarter, defender Joe Weston said, “It’s just unbelievable that we won that game by one goal.”
“It was pretty intense.
“We tried to move the ball in the last two minutes and Collingwood tried to give us some time, but [Kumwenda] With a two-point shoot after the buzzer.
“I was too nervous to even watch.”
Despite the controversy, the game will be remembered for its emotional bursts from Vixens’ Malawi International Shooter.
“I feel good. I was tough. I’m proud of the girls and they fought today,” Kumwenda told Fox Sports.
All Melbourne match-ups, despite racking up 44 penalties, have lived up to their billing with many physical and sometimes violent exchanges, with the Magpies bettering a tight first half.
A connection between Kelsey Brown and shooter Simona Nelson helped Collingwood establish an 18–15 lead after one quarter, and defender Jodi Ann Ward started flying for the season with three early interceptions.
Ward’s battle with Australian diamond attacker Keira Austin intensified in the second quarter as the Magpies punished numerous unforced turnovers from the Vixens and led 33-28 by halftime. bottom.
The Magpies maintained their advantage through the third period, and while the Vixens appeared to be running out of attacking options without the threat of injured goalkeeper Rani Summersson, Kumwenda had a long-range shot in the final minutes of the contest. Step up with a game-changing display.
fever edge giants
The defending Super Netball champions West Coast Fever started the new season with back-to-back nailing wins after surviving a late barrage from the Giants to take a dramatic 74-73 win. bottom.
Fever held onto a 63-52 lead heading into the final quarter of Sunday’s second-round clash at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena, but a deadly long-range shot saw the home side fall to the last few minutes. They were tied at minutes and were on the brink of an unlikely comeback. win.
Giants attackers Joe Harten and Sophie Dwyer had a combined 15 two-point supers in the game, with Harten’s seventh shot making the score 73-73.
However, the fever used up valuable time on the next possession, with Jhaniele Fowler scoring with 17 seconds remaining.
The Giants made a final push to decide the outcome, but Jess Anstis sealed the game as Fever backed up their one-goal win in last week’s grand final rematch against the Vixens with another calm finish. Collected intercepts to do.
Fowler (59 goals) kept the campaign off to a perfect start, Jamaica’s goal scorer didn’t miss a shot after two rounds and Alice Tieg Nield (34 feeds and 27 assists) was the last since shifting to a wing attack. continues to bloom. season.
Inspirational captain Harten and midcourt Maddy Hay made timely returns from injury after an underpowered Giants team fell 15 goals behind in the season opener against the Sunshine Coast Lightning. bottom.
But Dwyer (8-of-10 supershots) and Jamie Lee Price (34 feeds and 3 interceptions).
After closing out a high-scoring first quarter with a 21-20 advantage, the Fever took advantage of an unforced Giants turnover to lead 39-29 with three minutes remaining in the first half.
But the Giants came back hot with Harten drilling four 2-point super shots joined by sharp shooter Dwyer to cut the margin to 3 at halftime.
The home side looked to gain momentum after half-time, with Harten lifting the home crowd early in the third period with a deft layup finish from a Haye interception.
However, Fever, who finished the quarter 13-4, appeared to be box seated with an 11-goal lead.
The Giants threw everything at Fever in the final minutes, but they didn’t suffer their first win of the season.
AAP/ABC
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-26/super-netball-magpies-melbourne-vixen-west-coast-fever-giants/102147572 Collingwood Magpies lose 62-61 to Melbourne Vixens in Super Netball as West Coast Fever beat Giants 74-73
