Melbourne Vixens were the less wayward under suffocating pressure as they maintained a winning start to their trans-Tasman netball title defence with a nine-goal victory over the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
The Vixens won 48-39 at Hisense Arena on Sunday in an unusually inaccurate match as both shooters at both ends struggled.
Veteran Adelaide goal shooter Carla Borrego was benched midway through the third quarter having scored only 13 goals from her 25 attempts.
Borrego and her shooting partner Erin Bell (17 from 25) battled under tight marking by Vixens' defenders Geva Mentor and captain Bianca Chatfield, who was celebrating her 100-game milestone.
Borrego's replacement Kristina Brice scored nine goals from 14 attempts, as the pressure continued.
Their low-scoring rate turned over the ball far too much out of Adelaide's attack, but even at the other end the Vixens' were having their own issues.
Vixens goal attack Tegan Philip was replaced by Carla Dziworki at three-quarter time after managing just 13 goals from her 21 attempts.
In her debut match for the Vixens, veteran Dziwoki scored five goals from five attempts.
The victory keeps the Vixens undefeated after the opening two rounds while it was a second successive loss for the Thunderbirds.
Vixens coach Simone McKinnis described the match as a grind and was happy to win "ugly".
"I think it an indication of the pressure that is out there and under the post, at both ends," said McKinnis.
"They were putting enormous pressure on the shooters... but as a shooter you have to be able to take that on and deliver."
While the Thunderbirds shot at just 61 percent, captain Renae Hallinan refused to place the blame with the attacking end.
"Whether we win or loose it's a whole seven, or 12-player game and we all take responsibility," Hallinan said.
"We probably need to look at all areas of the game before we take them on again."
Chatfield was moved by the reception she received for her 100-game milestone.
"It was quite overwhelming the response from everyone in the change rooms beforehand and out on court today, it's hard to get my head around it," she said.
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