The Queensland Firebirds have recorded their second victory of the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season with a thrilling one goal win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds at Nissan Arena.
The Firebirds showed great composure to defy a dramatic late comeback from the visitors and finish the contest 54-53 victors.
The Thunderbirds recovered from nine goals down at halftime to hit the front with five minutes remaining, with the home side facing the prospect of another tough defeat following their midweek one-goal loss to the Giants.
But Queensland kept their cool in a frenetic final minute, with rising star Tippah Dwan scoring the matchwinner in front of a rapturous Purple Family dominated crowd.
Head Coach Roselee Jencke expressed her delight in a hard fought result.
“Very happy to be on the winning side of the ledger,” Jencke said.
“Defensively we simply kept at it and got those crucial tips at the end which we were able to convert.”
“To see that growth and to know we can close out a game in those pressure situations is really pleasing.”
The first three goals of the game gave the Firebirds an early advantage and they capitalised with a near faultless display, committing just two turnovers to stun Adelaide with a 20-12 opening quarter.
The home side continued to dominate possession and the scoreboard to edge further ahead in the second term, as Romelda Aiken missed just one shot in the first half to steer her team to a 34-25 halftime lead.
The Thunderbirds made their move in the third quarter with six of the first eight goals, as the momentum shifted almost entirely to the Adelaide side.
The Firebirds used their timeouts effectively to reset and arrest the changing tide of the contest, before Dwan held her nerve to sink a super shot after the siren to leave the match delicately poised at 46-42 heading into the final quarter.
Both sides struggled to find their attacking flow in the fourth quarter, but key intercepts from captain Gabi Simpson and Kim Jenner helped deliver the Firebirds enough opportunities to win it at the death.
Midcourter Mahalia Cassidy said belief amongst the playing group remains sky high.
“We know that we are competitive against any team when we play our best netball,” Cassidy said.
“It’s such a great team environment and that comes from everybody contributing and playing their role in our game plan.”
The Firebirds remain in seventh spot but will head into Wednesday's clash with West Coast Fever full of confidence having beaten the West Australian club convincingly back in round six.
