Firebirds shock Thunderbirds in Super Netball boilover
Steve Barrett |
The Queensland Firebirds have pulled off one of the upsets of the Super Netball season, shocking the third-placed Adelaide Thunderbirds 52-42 at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena.
The Firebirds hit the front in the opening minute on Sunday and were never headed, snapping a five-game losing skid to move off the bottom of the ladder.
Queensland’s dynamic defensive duo Ruby Bakewell-Doran and Remi Kamo corralled the Thunderbirds’ shooters throughout.
“I’m so proud of the girls,” Bakewell-Doran said. “It’s been a hard slog.
“For us to put up a performance like that, I’m just mind-blown.
“Our hunger has never left and we did what we know how to do. We did it with confidence and the score shows that.”
With classy attacker Georgie Horjus sidelined – load managed as a precaution to protect a lower leg injury – reigning champions Adelaide looked completely disjointed in their frontcourt.
Adelaide coach Tania Obst changed her circle set-up in search for a winning formula, but Bakewell-Doran and Kamo had the answer to every combination thrown at them.
The Firebirds led 14-11 at quarter-time, extending that to 28-21 at halfway.
Queensland clinically fashioned a 100 per cent goal-to-gain conversion rate in the opening half, as gun Thunderbirds goalkeeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey seemed to be waging a lone vigil for the visitors.
Spearhead Donnell Wallam went on a roll in the third period, burying 12 shots without a miss, to help the Firebirds march to an impregnable 10-goal lead with a quarter to play.
Sterling-Humphrey single-handedly did her best to drag Adelaide back into the match, but penalties, turnovers and ongoing shooting woes sabotaged the Thunderbirds’ bid for a late revival.
AAP
