MAGPIES V THUNDERBIRDS (46 – 46):

In the battle of the birds, the Collingwood Magpies and the Adelaide Thunderbirds have drawn 46-all in the final clash of round 11.

The high-pressured match became excruciatingly close in the final minutes, with both sides frantically trying to produce scoring opportunities.

An inspirational intercept from Collingwood’s Ashley Brazil briefly looked as though she’d manufactured a win for her side, however a held ball penalty in the Thunderbird’s favour gave them another chance.

The final centre pass going the way of the Magpies appeared to be an imminent opportunity to ice the game, yet a shocking last second miss from shooter Shimona Nelson meant the scores remained tied up.

Whist the match was marred with scrappy play, both sides fought with intensity early, evident there was much to play for.

However, such a hotly contested game caused both sides to make several errors, compromising their control. 

Heading into the half time break, both sides appeared equally frantic in their play, yet it was Thunderbirds who adopted a crisper game style, gaining a four-point lead early in the third term.

Yet, the Magpies crawled their way back, led by the attacking prowess of Nat Medhurst and the defensive pressure of Geva Mentor.

However, the Thunderbird’s Shamera Stirling set the tone for her teammates in goal keeper, orchestrating several key turnovers.

“I think we need to just take care of our own and just play some good netball,” Stirling said post-match.

“It’s a draw, it’s not a win for them so I’m quite excited.”

Whilst it was a must win match for Rob Wright’s Magpies to keep their finals hopes alive, their ability to arduously regain the lead was a positive sign.