Sparks to fly as Lightning and Magpies face off

With just four rounds of Suncorp Super Netball remaining in the lead-up to finals, Sunshine Coast Lightning will be looking to secure a win against Collingwood Magpies on home soil this weekend, placing it one step closer to a top-four ladder position.

Lightning head coach Noeline Taurua said the team was aiming to win at least three of its four upcoming matches.

“We’ve got a big few games ahead of us to make sure we secure a top-four position on the ladder,” Taurua said.

“We’re very fortunate that we have two games at home and that’s why this Collingwood game is huge for us.

"We don’t want to put pressure on ourselves for that last game against Vixens.

“We’ve got to have that attacking and fighting mentality and be connected for the whole 60 minutes.”

Taurua said Lightning players, particularly those in their second year of competing in the Suncorp Super Netball league, had grown significantly throughout the 2018 season.

“There’s been a lot of progress. They’ve gained a lot of experience. They’re still growing in their own positions and in their body and these little things do count in regards to their own development,” she said.

“I genuinely feel we’ve got the firepower and the ability to be able to push the top teams on the ladder and that’s reflected in our final scores.

“We’ve lost games by 2.25 goals on average and that shows how close we are. We’ve just got to pull it together and have no excuses.”

Saturday's match at USC Stadium will be broadcast live on the Nine Network and Netball Live app from 3pm AEST.

Sunshine Coast Lightning 2018 memberships are available at sunshinecoastlightning.com.au.

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