Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
The West Coast Fever will have the chance to exact sweet revenge on the Melbourne Vixens after booking a spot in the Super Netball preliminary final with a 56-52 win over the Melbourne Mavericks.
In front of 12,332 fans at Perth’s RAC Arena on Sunday, the Fever led by 11 goals with seven minutes remaining in the minor semi-final before the Mavericks nailed some big Super Shots to close the margin to four goals.
The Mavericks had two chances to close the gap to two goals with a minute left on the clock, but both of the Super Shots missed, allowing West Coast to close out the game.
West Coast’s win sets up a blockbuster preliminary final against the Vixens in Melbourne next Saturday night in what is a rematch of last year’s grand final.
The Vixens bucked the odds to beat West Coast in last year’s decider.
But the Fever will enter the preliminary final full of confidence after beating the defending champions by nine goals in Melbourne just two weeks ago.
The second-placed Vixens are now on a four-match losing run after suffering a 58-44 defeat to the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Sunday’s major semi-final.
Minor premiers Adelaide have now secured a spot in the grand final, and will meet the winner of the Vixens-Fever clash.
“I’m really proud of the team. That was a really gutsy win in the end,” Fever coach Dan Ryan told Fox Sports.
“Hopefully there is more in us.”
For the Mavericks, their season is now over, but they can hold their head up high after making finals for the first time.
“It hurts a lot,” Mavericks captain Amy Parmenter said while fighting back tears after the loss.
“We’ve just grown so much over the last three months, and to get to the finals is a huge achievement for us.
“There are a lot of lessons we learnt today. We had nothing to lose, and we put our heart and soul in that last five minutes.”
Sasha Glasgow, who had spent the previous two seasons at the Mavericks, haunted her former side with a perfect 4-of-4 Super Shots in the first half, while Fever goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George finished with 42 goals from 46 attempts.
Mavericks goal shooter Shimona Nelson was a perfect 33-of-33, while Sasha McDonald nailed two late Super Shots to give the visitors a pulse.
The Fever led by just one goal late in the third quarter before a Fran Williams intercept sparked the home side.
West Coast nailed 13 of the next 16 goals either side of three-quarter time to open up 54-43 lead, but two Super Shots to McDonald and one to Uneeq Palavi gave the home side a major fright.
