Games:Aust wins netball gold in thriller
By Sharon Labi
MANCHESTER, Aug 4 AAP - Australia has recorded another dramatic netball championshipvictory over arch rivals New Zealand to retain its Commonwealth Games title.
The gold medal playoff was always going to be a nailbiter but nobody could have predictedscores would be deadlocked at 46-46 at fulltime and again at the end of 14 minutes ofextra time.
The match went into sudden death with the score at 55-55, with the first team to leadby two goals declared the winner.
Australian goal attack Sharelle McMahon netted the winning goal, in much the same fashionas she did in the 1999 World Championships where Australia pipped NZ by one goal as thewhistle blew.
"It's just an amazing feeling, it's hard to describe," McMahon said.
"That game felt like it went forever.
"What a great feeling to win a gold medal like that, and over New Zealand."
Defender Liz Ellis, who had to measure up to the Kiwi's giant 1.9m shooter Irene vanDyk, said she thought Australia's gold medal hopes were gone.
But the team attributed the Australian fighting spirit for their comeback and eventualvictory after trailing by seven goals at one stage.
"We are just the happiest girls in the world right now," skipper Kathryn Harby-Williams said.
By halftime, the Silver Ferns led 25-23 and after three quarters the score was deadlockedat 37 all.
New Zealand looked like causing the biggest upset in recent netball history with thescore at 46-45 with seconds left on the clock.
But a stunning goal by long range expert Cath Cox gave Australia the equaliser andsent the gold medal decider into 14 minutes of extra time, and then sudden death.
New Zealand went into the final with the Commonwealth Games record for most goals scored(116 against Canada) and the sport's best shooter, van Dyk, who had netted 163 goals atthe Manchester Games with 92 per cent accuracy.
Australia carried injuries and illness, shooter Cox having just recovered from a gastrobug and Nicole Richardson still nursing an ankle injury.
When Ellis joined van Dyk in the goal circle, they kissed and chatted.
But when the game clock started, they were foes and the towering van Dyk had no qualmsabout knocking Ellis to the ground.
Ellis said later at times they "wanted to kill each other" but off court they are mates.
The Australian defence combination of Ellis and Harby-Williams had their work cut outbut duly applied pressure on van Dyk, the normally deadly accurate shooter missing fivegoals in the third quarter alone.
But there were tussles also in the Australian goal circle where Silver Ferns keeperVilimaina Davu and goal defence Sheryl Clarke were sterling in defence.
Australian coach Jill McIntosh began with her premier line up but Eloise Southby missedthree crucial shots in the first quarter and was replaced at halftime with Cox.
Van Dyk was tipped to be the shining star of the anticipated showdown but it was hercolleague Donna Loffhagen who shot with more grace and accuracy.
The Australia-New Zealand rivalry dates back years.
Of their past six meetings Australia and the Silver Ferns have won three matches eachbut the world champions have won the major titles.
At the Kuala Lumpur Games four years ago, New Zealand lost by three goals and thenthere was the World Championships defeat by one in 1999.
AAP sal/sl g
KEYWORD: GAMES NET AUST DAYLEAD
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