In a match which see-sawed throughout with both teams swapping leads, it was the Firebirds who emerged with a 52-51 win at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.
Up by two goals at the end of the first quarter, the Firebirds relinquished that advantage by halftime and then neither team could find a decisive edge across the second half.
Back-to-back goals by Elsa Sif Sandholt inside the final two minutes however put the Firebirds up by one before the visitors kept the Thunderbirds from scoring in the final 50 seconds of the match to take the points.
Sandholt was the dominant scorer with 43 goals while co-captain Lily Gribble and Gemma Hutchings - supported by Firebirds regular Isabelle Shearer - did a sterling job in defence against a Thunderbirds attack that included Suncorp Super Netball duo Kayla Graham and Lauren Frew.
The narrow win puts the Firebirds Futures fifth on the ladder after two games ahead of Sunday's match against the Vixens Academy at Melbourne's John Cain Arena.
