Super Netball 2023: West Coast Fever finally beaten as Adelaide Thunderbirds win a thriller

West Coast Fever coach Dan Ryan has refused to blame their intense travel schedule for costing them their undefeated streak after losing a one-goal thriller to the Adelaide Thunderbirds at RAC Arena on Sunday.

Adelaide star Eleanor Cardwell sunk a super shot with just five seconds left on the clock to help the Thunderbirds pinch a thrilling 64-63 win in the top-of-the-table clash against a tired Fever in front of 7615 fans.

Fever looked on their way to a sixth-straight win to start the season when they led by six goals heading into the final super shot period, but Cardwell (49 goals, eight super shots) starred with four late long-range bombs to deliver the victory.

Ryan conceded his team were outworked over the four quarters on the way to their first loss in 10 games.

“There are no excuses, our travel is our travel,” Ryan said.

“Maybe we weren’t as sharp as we have been in previous weeks and that happens irrespective of travel, and accumulated fatigue over the court of the season, but it’s certainly not an excuse by any means.

“We were outworked today by a team that was a little bit more hungry in those pressure cooker moments.”

Ryan said they needed to work on their offensive and defensive efforts in the super shot period after conceding nine for the game.

“We need to remain really disciplined in attack to make sure that we’re not supplying extra opportunities to the opposition,” Ryan said.

“And then making sure that we’re just shifting the mindset around taking away the ability to take the super shot, which we’ve struggled with in the past two games.

“Plenty of room for improvement there but we know that we can tidy it up and we know we can be a real powerhouse in those moments.”

All eyes were on the match-up of Fever captain Courtney Bruce and Cardwell and it didn’t disappoint, with the two going blow for blow early.

Fever broke the game open in the first term, leading by as much as nine goals thanks to perfect shooting performances from Jhaniele Fowler (51 goals from 53 shots) and Sasha Glasgow (12 goals) before a flurry of super goals kept the visitors within reach.

The second quarter was playing out in a similar fashion with Fever on top, but coach Dan Ryan changed tactics, bringing on Rudi Ellis (three gains and three rebounds) to team with Bruce (five gains and eight deflections) in defence during the super shot period, which helped them hold a four-goal lead at half-time.

In-form wing attack Alice Teague-Neeld was uncharacteristically sloppy with eight turnovers as Latanya Wilson found a way to disrupt Fever’s connection in the front half.

When Fever played the game at their own pace the Thunderbirds struggled to set up defensively, but erratic ball movement cost them dearly.

They tried to run down the clock in the final 90 seconds with the momentum going the Thunderbirds’ way, but the risky play backfired with the visitors claiming the all-important win.