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Southern Steel lost 54-53 in the final moments of their game against Northern Stars in Dunedin tonight.
This game ended in a heartbreaking way, but the Steelers showed courage and deserved the victory.
But late game management hurt the home side and they were unable to stop Stars captain Maia Wilson, who scored 38 goals in 39 attempts.
It was a tight battle between the two teams at the bottom of the standings, but the Stars prevailed in the final quarter, 15-12, to claim their second win.
Steel Wings attacker Serina Daunakamakama had a strong performance, finishing with 35 passes, 14 catches and one interception.
She opens up space for other attackers, pulls defenders out of scrambles, sets barriers, and does all the little things correctly.
The Steelers began their attack when Grace Namana broke through with a ball at a 45-degree angle, finding Georgia Heffernan on base.
The Stars took an early lead thanks to Maia Wilson’s strong control under the posts.
But soon, the score was tied and the two teams were evenly matched.
The Stars’ first choice when attacking is always the long pass, which opens up space for them.
At the other end, the Steelers had excellent width on the field and depth in the second phase, and they set up well.
Fullback Renee Savai’inaea fired the ball into the net as always and Namana scored at the other end, making it 14-15 at halftime.
They attacked with all their might, forcing the Stars into making silly mistakes – and making them pay.
Namana rolled under the post to find better space and her shot between her and Georgia Heffernan had the Stars defenders scrambling.
That helped the home team take a three-goal lead and held the Stars scoreless for the opening three minutes.
Daunakamakama’s dominance forced the Stars to make a change, with Khayne-Lii Munro Nonoa moving to fullback and Lisa Mather moving to centre.
Former Steelers defender Kate Burley gave the Stars trouble in goal and intercepted the ball.
Afterwards, the Stars launched a small climax and led by as many as 4 points in this ups and downs game.
Wilson worked well with new attacking goalkeeper Amorangi Malesala, who went all out to give Wilson the chance to attack the baseline.
But Taneisha Fifita intercepted the ball and began a steel counterattack.
As the Steelers used the ball to move defenders, they found gaps and ran their offense.
They fought tirelessly and kept the score even until halftime when the Stars scored to give the visitors a 28-27 lead.
Fifita got around Wilson and passed the ball to Wilson on the right wing to start the third quarter.
The Steelers mounted a tenacious defense in this game, and the home team took a five-point lead.
Abby Lawson worked tirelessly to stop Malesala, Savai’inaea screamed, Kate Heffernan stole over the top and Daunakamkama took another one down the lateral.
As they forced the ball, the home crowd’s enthusiasm began to build and the Steelers entered another zone.
But the Stars stayed calm, slowed the ball down and took advantage of their opportunities, leading the Steelers 41-39 at halftime.
The Stars remained resolute in the fourth, as Burley made two consecutive interceptions to seal the game.
Not to be outdone, Savai Naia received the ball on a Stars pass down the middle, but Holly Fowler intercepted the Steelers’ crosscourt pass and her team continued on from there.
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