But the 52-50 victory over the Central Pulse will have raised more questions than answers for veteran coach Robyn Broughton as her team struggled to impose itself against the early season wooden spoon contenders.
In fact, it was the inexperienced Pulse team which came out of the match with the plaudits as they harassed the Steel into mistakes and came within seconds of pulling off the upset of the competition to date.
The match was not without some controversy.
With the scores tied at 40-40, the Pulse in possession and apparently a few seconds left on the clock, the umpires blew for full-time to send the match into two seven-minute halves of extra time.
Most would have expected the Steel to control the overtime.
But the Pulse got its nose back in front and it was not until the final minutes of the second spell of extra time that the Steel was able to gain some semblance of control and hang on for the win.
The smiles on the faces of Pulse players was evidence of just how close they had come to causing a boilover.
Steel captain Megan Hutton was a relieved woman at fulltime.
‘‘It was hard work out there,'' Hutton told Sky Sports.
‘‘I didn't expect it to go into overtime, but in saying that, the Pulse played really well. I'm just stoked we came away with a win.''
Hutton said the Pulse's performance showed just how close the new competition would be. Broughton caused a surprise at the start of the match by opting to bench towering shooter Daneka Wipiiti, and start with 18-year-old Julianna Naoupu.
Australian Megan Dehn moved to goal shoot, allowing Naoupu to wear the goal attack bib.
The first half was riddled with errors as both teams struggled to get ball through the mid-court. Laboured and wayward passing costs both sides dearly, as turnovers were coughed up.
Dehn showed early shooting confidence but it was Naoupu who impressed by netting from wide out.
The teams went goal-for-goal early in the first quarter and after 10 minutes the match was tied at 6-6. The Steel pulled away late in the first quarter to lead 12-7 at the break.
Debbie White again had little opportunity to show her talents and lasted just a quarter before Broughton turned to her Sting stalwart Wendy Telfer at wing defence.
If Steel fans were expecting the young Pulse side to crumble in the second quarter, they were wrong.
Led by impressive wing defence Cushla Lichtwark, the Pulse slowed its opposition's supply of ball through the midcourt, making it difficult for the Steel to feed its shooters.
By the end of the first half the Pulse had closed the gap to two, with the Steel in front 21-19, as teenage shooter Amber Bellringer began to find her feet for the home team.
As expected, Broughton introduced Wipiiti into the match in the second half, the only surprise being she replaced the experienced Dehn, rather than Naoupu.
The New Zealand under-21 player eventually left the court midway through the third quarter, allowing Dehn to reunite with Wipiiti. The Steel held on to a slender 31-29 lead at threequarter time.
Early in the final spell the Pulse got its nose in front for the first time, 33-32, and at one stage extended it to a three-goal lead. But the Steel's experience showed as it clawed its way back into the match to force extra time and ultimately claim a first win in the ANZ Championship, after an opening round 42-53 loss to the New South Wales Swifts.
