Red, bursting with versatile talls, picked its moments of brilliance with precision and skipped away with the 40-27 win.

The perfect timing of the Hampden league side overshadowed City, who always seemed flustered.

“We’re still learning,” Red coach Gill Herrmann said.

“But I’m really pleased that they gelled well.”

It was an even battle in the first term as Hampden inched away to a 10-7 lead.

City was upbeat in the huddle at the first break, but Red was only getting started.

Hampden’s goalers Brittany Hyland and Jasmine Bakic had the height advantage in the goal ring against tireless City defenders Tara Eccles and Jessica Price.

The defensive Red trio of keeper Bridget Smith, goal defence Genevieve O’Connor and wing defence Laura Kol were solid and forced turnover after turnover.

Hampden moved the ball like a training drill and while leads were predictable, they were executed in unbeatable fashion.

“I thought our defence really set it up,” Herrmann said. “But we were also able to control the ball down the court.”

Hampden was 20-10 ahead at half-time, allowing room to shuffle positions for the third term.

Bridget Smith moved from keeper to goal attack and shot beautifully from long range.

Hyland went to defence and was just as damaging as she was in goals.

The margin stretched to 31-18 at three-quarter-time.

Herrmann said Red’s versatility would hold them in good stead for the season. “That’s the one thing that will be a real bonus for us,” she said.

Both sides had a messy start to the fourth term.

City goal shooter Sharni Moloney continued to work overtime but left the court in the dying stages with a back niggle.

Herrmann said her group fulfilled the task brief.

“I gave them a few directives at training which they were able to do tonight,” she said.

“One was to be accountable one-on-one and the other was to beat their direct opponent.”

In other early matches last night, Western Border collected a narrow 41-38 win in a hard-fought 17 and under encounter against South West District.

Hampden Green trumped Cobden and District Night Association 63-40 in the open division.