The Melbourne Vixens need to be better at "putting their opposition away", coach Simone McKinnis says, following their 57-51 victory over the winless Adelaide Thunderbirds in Melbourne.
She said she was pleased to get the two points from the trans-Tasman netball competition clash, but her side would need to improve before they took on the top-of-the-table Queensland Firebirds next week in Brisbane.
"It was important for us to get the win but I'm not overly happy with the way we went across the game," McKinnis said on Saturday night .
"We really set ourselves up and had a great start ... the second quarter was really good but we certainly let them get back into it and that's not good.
"In the third quarter they shouldn't have been in the picture ... our conversion of gain ball was really poor."
While not the emphatic display McKinnis was hoping for, the win keeps the Melbourne side in third place on the ladder (10) but with an all-important game in hand over the next best West Coast Fever (8).
The Vixens (5-3) led from start to finish in a physical encounter at Margaret Court Arena.
Shooter Karen Bailey top-scored for the home side with 34 goals from 36 attempts, and Alice Teague-Neeld made 23 from 31.
Accuracy at goal has been an issue for the Vixens this season but tonight's performance of 85 per cent is five points above their season record.
Facing a six-goal, 14-8 deficit at the first break, Thunderbirds coach Michelle Den Dekker opted to introduce 196cm shooter Kristina Brice (27 from 30) for Carla Borrego (six from eight).
Brice made an instant impact and the Thunderbirds closed to within three goals as the new shooter shot nine goals from as many attempts.
However, the Vixens fought back to take a 29-22 advantage into halftime, one that would increase to 10 goals (46-36) at the last break.
The Vixens will play defending champions and top-of-the-table Queensland Firebirds next week in Brisbane.
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