Melbourne Vixens hold a vice-like grip on the Super Netball top spot after a crushing 69-49 win over old rivals NSW Swifts at a sold out John Cain Arena.
The 20-goal victory pushed them two wins clear with just three rounds remaining, though they have to play the second-placed Adelaide Thunderbirds away and the third-placed West Coast Fever at home over the next fortnight.
It was a fifth straight success for the Vixens (10-1) and their largest winning margin of the season.
The Swifts' slim finals hopes suffered another blow as they slumped to a fifth successive defeat and to a 3-8 record overall.
The efficient hosts trailed just once in the match, late in the first quarter, but only for just over a minute.
They led by three, seven and 11 at the end of the first three quarters respectively and outscored the Swifts 17-8 in the last.
"I'm really pleased with the way they finished that game, it was hard work right across the game," Vixens coach Simone McKinnis told Fox Sports.
"I enjoyed our ability to push on throughout the game."
The Swifts' high penalty count, a vexatious issue throughout the season, was again evident as they were pinged 63 times -11 more than the Vixens.
The home team's ball security was also markedly superior, turning the ball over on ten fewer occasions than the error-prone Swifts and they converted 11 more goals from unforced turnovers.
Vixens goal keeper Emily Mannix grabbed three intercepts as did captain and midcourter Kate Moloney, who also chalked up 19 goal assists in a typical all-action performance.
"Sometimes when we struggled for options she (Moloney) basically throws herself where she needs to be for the ball, she did a mountain (of work) today," McKinnis said of Moloney.
Swifts goal keeper Sarah Klau never stopped battling, racking up ten deflections, eight gains and five rebounds.
Another positive for the battling Swifts was the debut of Tongan representative Uneeq Palavi (21/24).
Palavi, who has been training with the Mavericks, provided a strong presence as a holding shooter and also made three of five Super Shots.
