"There are a couple of times as the coach you look back and wish we had done things differently but overall we were much more controlled," Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald said

"I thought we handled the situation a lot better," she added.

It was a defensive tug-a-war between the two sides as wayward balls and errors in the opening quarter.

However, it was the Firebirds who came out on top with the first bonus point of the game as Gretel Tippett scored a long-range goal on the siren to give her side a three-point lead.

But a game-changing move from Fitzgerald as she brought on shooter Kristina Brice to stop the constant pressure of Laura Geitz and Tara Hinchliffe in the circle.

It was a masterstroke as the Giants pulled back and led by three goals, however tactical timeouts from both teams disrupted the momentum of the game.

The Giants took the next two bonus points but despite going ahead by five points they were unable to put the game out of reach.

However, a determined and resilient Giants were able to surge ahead in the dying moments and keep the Firebirds at bay.