Central Pulse beaten again

Central Pulse remained winless in the trans-Tasman netball competition after going down in their third consecutive game, 56-28 to the Queensland Firebirds, in Brisbane tonight.

They found difficulties in the face of taller and more aggressive Queenlanders throughout the court and trailed each quarter 14-7, 31-15 and 43-19.

The Firebirds took control of the game when the Pulse lost the ball twice trying to find their shooters in just the second minute.

Both times the Firebirds moved the ball swiftly down the court and the 1.98m tall Imelda Aiken added two more goals to make it 4-1. They never looked as the Jamaican international's long limbs picked off feeds into the circle with ease and turned them into goals.

Though Pulse goalshoot Susan Tagicakibau was accurate, schoolgirl goal attack Amber Bellringer and Jamilah Gupwell had difficulties connecting with her as Firebirds' Tamsin Greenway and captain Peta Stephens cut them off often.

By the end of the first quarter the Firebirds led 14-7, stretching it to 31-15 at halftime.

Pulse defenders Sonia Mkoloma and Kahurangi Waititi worked hard and though they succeeded in closing down space in the circle for Aiken to some degree, they couldn't do much to stop her in the air.

The Firebirds rested Aiken in the second half but replacement Joanne Morgan maintained the scoring rate.

The Pulse made a few changes but couldn't upset the home team's rhythm. In fact the Pulse own error rate climbed.

Bellringer moved to goalshoot for the third quarter and though her combination with Gupwell and Frances Solia showed promise, the experience of the Australians overshadowed that.

By the third quarter the Firebirds were up 43-19 and on their way to becoming the seventh team in the competition with a two-win one-loss record alongside Southern Steel, who beat Canterbury Tactix 51-42 in the other ANZ Championship match tonight.

Pulse captain Solia said the Firebirds were simply unstoppable tonight and that Aiken had played a major role in settling the home team down quickly.

"We have to go back to the drawing board," she said.

Firebirds coach Vicki Wilson swapped a number of her players around in the third quarter.

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