A goal here and a goal there is making a massive difference in this year’s ANZ Premiership.
The competition could hardly be closer as it moves into the final five rounds.
Six matches have been decided by a single goal, while 11 have been decided by three or fewer and 15 — over half of the 28 games — by five or fewer.
That has made for a congested table and while the Central Pulse has streaked out in front, the other two spots remain open.
The Southern Steel leads the trailing group on six wins and 14 points from 10 games, although it is coming off back-to-back losses.
Below it are the Mainland Tactix, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and Northern Mystics on 12, 11 and 10 points respectively.
Of that group, both the Magic and Mystics have a game in hand, while the Tactix has obtained four crucial bonus points.
Even bottom-of-the-table Northern Stars — which has just one win in nine matches — has been competitive.
Two of its losses have been by one goal, one by two and two by three.
That leaves it with five bonus points and if the odd thing had gone differently, perhaps that could have translated to six wins.
Most notable among the close rounds was the last Super Sunday in Christchurch.
After the Steel’s 63-60 win over the Stars, both the Magic and Mystics claimed one-goal wins over the Tactix and Pulse respectively.
A day later the Steel and Tactix backed up with a 53-52 thriller, decided by a Te Paea Selby-Rickit goal with eight seconds left.
On Wednesday the Magic completed the round with a three-goal win over the Stars.
As far as the run-in goes, the Tactix has arguably the hardest finish, with two games against the Pulse to come.
It also has a game against each of the other three contenders.
However, there are no easy paths.The Magic avoids the Pulse for the rest of the season, while both the Steel and Mystics play it once.
The Mystics have two games left against the Stars.
The key is the results of the Magic’s remaining games against the Steel and Mystics, both of which it plays twice.
It would not be silly to bet they will be close ones.
