Collingwood Magpies coach Nicole Richardson has blown up at Super Netball officials, claiming her side was "robbed" by an umpiring call in the final minutes of a pulsating Melbourne derby.
Mwai Kumwenda drilled a two-point shot after the final siren to cap an improbable fourth-quarter comeback, as Melbourne Vixens recorded a memorable 62-61 victory at John Cain Arena.
However, Richardson fumed after the game that the Vixens had received two centre passes in a row during the final minutes.
"What happened in the last minute-and-a-half is a fiasco," Richardson told reporters.
"You cannot have a result like that. This is an elite level of competition, you've got an automated scoreboard that tells you whose centre pass it is. You've got a bench who knows exactly whose centre pass it is, but the bench do not have any power to do anything about it.
"That has just cost us a game. That's why I'm angry."
Richardson said both she and Magpies goal attack Sophie Garbin alerted the umpire but they were "basically ignored".
"We've been completely robbed," Richardson added.
The dramatic finale came after the Magpies had won each of the first three quarters and appeared to have their second victory for the season in their grasp before Kumwenda turned Sunday's derby clash on its head with a late flurry to steal the result for the Vixens.
Kumwenda rocked the Magpies with a run of four two-point super shots after the Vixens trailed by seven with less than five minutes to play, converting the game-sealing shot after time expired despite the attention of multiple Collingwood defenders.
"I actually can't believe that we won that game by one goal," defender Jo Weston said after the Vixens outscored the Magpies 21-14 in the fourth quarter.
"It was pretty intense.
"The last two minutes we tried to play the ball around and then Collingwood also tried to sort of spare a bit of time on the clock but then [Kumwenda] with that two-point shot after the buzzer.
"I couldn't even watch, I was too nervous."
Despite the controversy, the game will be remembered for the inspirational burst from the Vixens' Malawi international shooter.
"I'm feeling good, that was tough there. I'm just proud of the girls and they put in the fight today," Kumwenda told Fox Sports.
The all-Melbourne match-up lived up to its billing with plenty of physical and — at times — feisty exchange,s with the Magpies getting the better of a tight opening half despite racking up 44 penalties.
The connection between Kelsey Browne and shooter Shimona Nelson helped Collingwood establish an 18-15 lead after one quarter, with defender Jodi-Ann Ward continuing her flying start to the season with three early intercepts.
Ward's battle with Australian Diamonds attacker Keira Austin intensified in the second quarter as the Magpies punished numerous unforced turnovers from the Vixens to edge ahead 33-28 by half-time.
The Magpies maintained their advantage throughout the third period and the Vixens looked short on attacking options without the threat of injured goaler Rahni Samason, but Kumwenda stepped up in the closing minutes of the contest with a game-turning display of long-range shooting.
Fever edge Giants
Defending Super Netball champions West Coast Fever opened the new season with consecutive nail-biting wins after surviving a late barrage from the Giants to complete a dramatic 74-73 victory.
The Fever held a 63-52 lead heading into the final quarter of Sunday's round-two clash at Sydney's Ken Rosewall Arena but deadly long-range shooting saw the home side draw level in the final minute to leave them on the verge of an improbable comeback win.
Giants attackers Jo Harten and Sophie Dwyer combined for 15 two-point super shots in the game, with Harten's seventh locking the scores at 73-73.
But the Fever used up valuable time on their next possession, before setting up Jhaniele Fowler for the go-ahead score with 17 seconds to play.
The Giants made one final push to swing the result, but Jess Anstiss collected the game-sealing intercept as the Fever backed up their one-goal win in last week's grand-final rematch against the Vixens with another composed finish.
Fowler (59 goals) maintained her perfect start to the campaign, with the Jamaican scoring-machine yet to miss a shot after two rounds, while Alice Teague-Neeld (34 feeds and 27 assists) continues to blossom since her shift to wing attack last season.
Inspirational captain Harten and midcourter Maddie Hay made timely returns from injury after an understrength Giants squad dropped their opening game of the season by 15 goals against Sunshine Coast Lightning.
But not even a full-strength Giants line-up could prevent the Fever from opening their championship defence with back-to-back wins, despite the efforts of Dwyer (8-of-10 super shots) and Jamie-Lee Price (34 feeds and three intercepts).
The Fever closed a high-scoring opening quarter with a 21-20 advantage, then took advantage of unforced Giants turnovers to edge ahead 39-29 with three minutes remaining in the first half.
But the Giants came roaring back with Harten joining with sharp-shooter Dwyer to drill four two-point super shots and cut the margin to three at half-time.
The home side looked to build on their momentum after the break, with Harten lifting the home crowd with a deft lay-up finish from a Hay intercept early in the third period.
But a 13-4 ending to the quarter appeared to put the Fever in the box seat with an 11-goal lead.
The Giants threw everything at the Fever in the closing minutes but fell agonisingly short of their first win of the season.
AAP/ABC
