The Southern Steel have been eliminated from the trans Tasman netball play-offs after going down 51-45 to the Thunderbirds in their minor semi-final in Adelaide.
After suffering a 58-49 loss to the Steel in Dunedin two weeks ago the Thunderbirds were fired up for revenge on their home court when it mattered most.
In one of the most aggressive games of the season, the Thunderbirds were leading by just one goal at quarter time and fought to open the margin to five goals by the main break.
The shooting statistics were similar, althouh the homeside had 6 more attempts.
The Steel coach Robyn Broughton felt the two sides were similar, but the homecourt advantage played a big part in the outcome.
The Thunderbirds now move on to meet the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the preliminary final in Hamilton on Sunday.
The last time the Thunderbirds met the Magic, the Adelaide side thrashed them by 19-goals.
