Tactix Fend Off Gritty Steel To Claim First-Up Win

11 May 2025

Former Silver Fern Donna Wilkins launched her elite level coaching career in the best possible fashion after steering VIP Frames and Trusses Tactix to a 57-50 win over a dogged Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel in Christchurch on Sunday.

Honouring the memory of the late Kelly Hutton, who passed away in 2023 from ovarian cancer, and her sister Megan Hutton, both former Canterbury representative with Megan also playing for the Steel, the Hutton Family Trophy was on the line for the first time.

Taking time to find their feet, the Tactix took charge in the second half of the southern derby with more impetus on attack through their young midcourt pairing of Holly Mather and Parris Petera, a lively defensive contribution from Jane Watson and sure shooting from Martina Salmon.

With the game delicately poised and the Tactix leading 42-41 at the last break it was still anyone’s game, the Tactix making a telling push to forge a handy lead in the run home.

With key Steel midcourter Kate Heffernan ruled out with injury and assistant coach Liana Leota named on the bench as cover, and shooter Aliyah Dunn, despite being sidelined for two minutes after dangerous play in the final quarter, but coming back to nail two two-pointers, the southerners remained well in the frame throughout.

The young Steel team made a great fist of challenging the Tactix, whose greater experience proved decisive in the end.

Respective goal shoots, Ellie Bird for the home side and Dunn, in her 100th national league match, suiting up in her hometown colours against her old team, were key figures through the first stanza with both returning blemish-free returns from one-point range.

Neither side had any luck from the two-point arc, the new rule coming into play for the final five minutes of each quarter of matches this season, the Tactix making the most of their extra opportunities to head into the first break with a 14-10 lead.

They were out of the blocks quickly on the resumption, scoring the first three goals before the Steel surged back into contention. With rangy new signing Carys Stythe making Bird earn her goals, the long reach of the defender, who made the move south during the off-season, grabbed a series of clutch turnover ball.

With five goals on the trot, the Steel grew in confidence through their effective defensive pressure and sure flow through court, the experience of Kimiora Poi and rising young midcourter Serina Daunakamakama having a healthy impact. Drawing level 10 minutes in, Steel goal attack Georgia Heffernan nailed two super shots to nudge the visitors into a 27-26 halftime lead.

A revelation last season, Salmon was injected into the game for the Tactix for the second half alongside wing attack Petera as the teams went goal-for goal throughout a close contest, the shooter going on to have a telling impact.

Crack defender Watson got some classic turnovers under the Steel hoop as the Tactix flexed their collective muscle, Salmon adding to the home team’s impetus with a third quarter two-pointer to push their buffer out to five.

In a tale for the ages, 40-year-old Steel assistant coach Leota was injected in at wing attack for the visitors for her 211th national league match after playing for several New Zealand and England franchises during a decorated career.

Her presence had the desired result, helping the Steel make another concerted push, a two-pointer from Dunn leaving the match on a knife-edge when the Tactix took a 42-41 lead into the last turn.

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