NSW beat Adelaide in Super Netball clash

The NSW Swifts have overcome a sluggish start to record a 51-48 come-from-behind victory over the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Saturday's Super Netball clash.

With captain Abbey McCulloch and vice-captain Paige Hadley both sidelined with knee injuries, the undermanned Swifts were staring at bottom spot on the table at quarter-time when they trailed 16-10.

But they turned the contest around spectacularly in Adelaide, with a 15-7 second stanza to seize the lead at halftime before hanging on to snap a six-match losing run.

Chelsea Pitman was terrific early for Adelaide but the home side lost its way after quarter-time, slumping to a ninth consecutive defeat.

After absorbing Adelaide's rollicking start, NSW regrouped after injecting Simone Halpin at wing defence and swinging ex-Thunderbird Maddy Proud to the pivot.

With import shooting pair Sam Wallace and Helen Housby too good in the circle, the Swifts led 25-23 at half-time and were still ahead 39-35 with a quarter to play.

The Swifts' lead swelled to eight points before Adelaide, mainly through Renae Inglis and Sasha Glasgow scored 10 last-quarter goals.

But it was too little, too late for the Thunderbirds who are heading for the wooden spoon and coach Dan Ryan was blunt in his assessment.

"Not good enough at all," he said. "We should have won that game.

"The way we started, it looked like things were going to go really well for us and then everyone just stopped in their tracks in that second quarter.

"That scoreline is bitterly disappointing, that result more so.

"If that's a reflection of where we are, it's simply not good enough."

Swifts coach Rob Wright was pleased with the way his side fought back from the early deficit.

"Very much so," he said. "In the first quarter we weren't great and they were particularly solid.

"We needed to come back and I thought we did that well."