Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich was left to lament Australia’s capitulation on home soil after New Zealand claimed the Constellation Cup series with a game to spare.
With a two-goal lead at three-quarter time, the Diamonds crumbled under pressure and lost 52-49 to the Silver Ferns at Sydney’s Afterpay Arena on Sunday.
Australia lose the series for the fourth time since the two countries began competing for the trophy in 2010, and they’ve done so ahead of Wednesday’s final game in Melbourne.
And Commonwealth Games gold medallists New Zealand are far from satisfied, eyeing a 4-0 sweep to dethrone Australia for the world No.1 ranking.
In a tight and physical final quarter, the Diamonds gave away 23 penalties to New Zealand’s nine.
“We got a couple of hands in that could have flipped our way but unfortunately didn’t,” Marinkovich said.
“If there’s dangerous play, the umpires call that.
“When the ball’s going up in the air, you can’t just stand there and watch it go by.
“A couple of missed shots, a couple of loose balls … it’s just key moments.
“You only need one or two to go against you, and that opens a gap up, and they (New Zealand) certainly solidified that.”
Australia had shrugged off an early injury to vice-captain Kate Moloney to build a 15-11 lead by quarter-time.
Star centre Moloney had dislocated a finger on her left hand less than 30 seconds into the game after a contest with Silver Ferns counterpart Kate Heffernan.
Moloney had already missed game one after needing 12 stitches for a laceration on a different finger on the same hand.
New Zealand refused to be blown away in the second term, turning the tables to win the quarter 15-11 and make it 26-all at the main break.
The trans-Tasman rivals went goal for goal in the third term before defender Jessie Grenvold intercepted a pass from star Kiwi shooter Grace Nweke to help the Diamonds sneak to a two-goal lead.
New Zealand dug deep to open the fourth quarter with a five-goal burst, prompting Marinkovich to call on Moloney with six minutes left.
But Moloney’s inclusion proved too little, too late, and Nweke held her nerve to fire off three straight goals late to seal the win.
Nweke had been made to work by three-cap Diamonds defender Grenvold, before hitting her straps in the fourth quarter to finish with 41 goals from 45 attempts.
The star goal shooter wasn’t the only Kiwi who started off-kilter, with a noticeably fatigued Silver Ferns side taking to the court in Sydney after winning the first two games across the Tasman by a combined margin of 18 goals.
Wing attack Kimiora Poi came to life to assist Nweke in the final term with 11 feeds and four gains.
Sophie Garbin was Australia’s main goal shooter (37/43), leading Kiera Austin (3/3) and Sophie Dwyer (9/11).
Diamonds captain Liz Watson took over centre duties for Moloney, leaving her preferred position as wing attack to finish with a game-high 15 gains and 34 feeds.
“For nearly 60 minutes of that game we had that fight and hunger, so definitely proud of that,” Watson said.
“We know that it’s hard to get to number one, but it’s even harder to stay at number one.
“We’re very well aware that teams are chasing us, not just the Ferns.
“Anybody who plays the Diamonds wants to see where they stack up against the best in the world. We’re well aware of that.”
Silver Ferns captain Karin Burger described the win as “pretty awesome”.
“We came in gunning for it, and we prepared really well, and Noels (Noeline Taurua, coach) had a really good plan of how she wanted us to do that,” Burger said.”It was a grind out there today, but all the planning obviously showed out there that it was worth it, and yeah, we got it.”
