Tasmanian Magpies hopes of defending their Australian Netball League mantle has been left in tatters after once establishing a nine-goal lead.
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That first-half dominance was reduced to just two goals by the interval before NSW Waratahs controlled the pace to win the semi-final 51-47.
Tasmanian assistant coach Claire Dennis felt the side failed to capitalise on an extra eight shooting attempts.
"The missed goals hurt the side badly and ultimately cost us the chance to defend the title," she said.
The Magpies were clean early on, holding onto a five-goal break at quarter-time.
They retained a seven-goal buffer for a large slice of the second term before extending it to a game-high nine.
But a series of Tahs' intercepts drew the margin back to two in the final minute.
An uninterrupted five-goal run that pushed out the third-quarter lead out to two started to take the game away from the Magpies.
Goal shooter Jane Cook missed several attempts as coach Elissa Kent was forced to ring the changes in an attempt to stem the three-goal deficit at the last change.
Zoe Claridge came off the bench to make an impact and Shelby Miller proved solid.
Cook resumed on court, but the Pies were not only unable to regain the lead, but the margin blew out to seven goals at one stage before three in the final 90 seconds.
The Tasmanians face Canberra in Sunday's bronze.