The Melbourne Vixens have retained their unbeaten run in the ANZ Championship with a convincing 50-42 win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Melbourne.

It continued the Vixens recent dominance over the Thunderbirds following a six-goal win in round three as they remained the only unbeaten team after five rounds.

The match never reached the expected heights between the two great rivals with the Vixens holding the upper hand for much of today’s proceedings.

In a clash of the heavyweights, the starting of Bianca Reddy at goalkeeper ahead of Geva Mentor for the Thunderbirds was the only surprise in the two starting line-ups.

There was any number of classy individual match-ups between the two teams to aid the spectacle as both made set out with slow openings.

Scoring was difficult early on as the attacking lines of both teams were unable to create real flow. But as has become their hallmark this season, the Vixens’ patience and ability to dictate the tempo of matches ensured they slowly edged into a position of dominance.

The home team were also rewarded with extra ball, picking up the scraps through loose ball and a higher intercept rate. Eagerly snapping up the extras, shooters Sharelle McMahon and Caitlin Thwaites found their range, showing a good rapport in the circle to propel the home team into the lead.

A succession of six straight goals gave the Vixens a handy 12-8 edge heading into the first break as in-form defender Bianca Chatfield made life difficult for Thunderbirds shooter Kate Beveridge who found herself well of target.

The Vixens continued their strong form on the resumption with the Thunderbirds hanging on grimly as they fought to stay in the match.
However, inspiring captain Natalie von Bertouch stepped up the intensity from centre, her Thunderbirds team-mates responding by resorting to their more favoured fast-paced style of play.

Strong driving play from von Bertouch, ably assisted by her sister Laura, to the circle edge enhanced the Thunderbirds shooting options as the visitors finished the quarter on a strong note.

A more confident Beveridge started finding her range more consistently as the Thunderbirds chipped back the deficit to leave the Vixens with a tenuous 23-22 halftime lead.

Renae Hallinan and Natasha Chokljat switched positions to centre and wing defence respectively for the Vixens in the second half. Minutes into the third stanza, the scores were all tied up before the Vixens achieved a mini break to once again build a small buffer.
It proved an inspired decision as Chokljat, in particular, did a fine job of shutting down the Thunderbirds midcourt speed and options on attack.

Chatfield and her defensive partner Julie Corletto continued to shine for the Vixens as Beveridge and Natalie Medhurst found close positioning to the post and shooting for goal a difficult proposition.

At the other end of the court the ever-reliable and unflappable Thwaites kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Vixens.
Unable to build on their strong second quarter, the Thunderbirds were punished for inconsistent passages as the Vixens headed into three-quarter time with a useful 35-31 cushion.

The Vixens looked to close out the match with a forceful opening to the last quarter, quickly shooting out to an unbeatable 10-goal lead. The Thunderbirds had no answer to the slick and accurate play throughout the court from the home team who continue to be the benchmark in the competition.