Southend Swifts under-18 girls' team crashed out of the National Cup at Hockley's Greensward College as they came under the spell of reigning holders Manchester Mystics.

Mystics are currently unbeaten in the northern division of the National League and boast a large number of junior internationals - so Swifts knew they would have to be at their best if they were to advance to next month's cup final.

Manchester made the better start, opening a 9-5 lead, but they were in foul trouble as they struggled to combat Swifts' speed of play.

A 6-2 run for the hosts, with four for Jane Barclay, tied the game up at 11-all and, although the visitors scored the next three, another Barclay score and an Abi Dempsey three-pointer gave Southend their first lead.

Mystics again went one ahead, but some good foul shooting by Swifts helped them to a 22-19 first quarter advantage.

A basket from Lauren Kidd extended the margin to five, but Manchester made two decisive runs totalling 18, with just one solitary point for the home side, to take a 37-25 lead.

Scores from Dempsey and Barclay reduced the deficit to eight before four straight took Mystics back out to 12.

A succession of foul shots for both teams maintained the double digit lead before a basket from Dempsey as the half time buzzer sounded left the match at 47-39 to Manchester.

Whatever was said during the half-time interval had the desired effect as Southend scored the first seven points of the third quarter to make it a one point game that brought the large crowd to its feet.

And the game was tied at 49 on an Emma Hart foul shot.

But again Mystics upped their intensity and a 10-0 run was followed by one of 10-3 to lead 69-52 and they closed out the period at 74-55.

Neither team let up in the final quarter with Swifts converting an admirable 10 from 14 foul shot attempts as well as restricting their opponents to just 10 points themselves.

But the damage had been done in the middle of the third period as Manchester ended as deserving victors by 84 points to 69 in an excellent contest.

Dempsey 25, Barclay 20 and Kidd 11 led the Swifts scorers.