Australian Football

Match Report

Port Adelaide's impressive season has continued as the Power staved off West Coast in a hard-fought contest in front of a parochial crowd at Subiaco on Saturday night. The Power jumped to an early lead with the first three goals of the match but were challenged several times during the evening with the Eagles claiming the lead during the second term and holding onto it until a goal from Robbie Gray returned Port to the lead by a solitary point as the third quarter entered time on. The last five minutes of that term failed to produce a score as both sides battled for ascendency in its dying stages.

With the game in the balance, it was Port Adelaide that seized the early initiative in the last quarter, albeit through a 'clanger' of an umpiring decision. West Coast's Eric MacKenzie clearly for first hands on the ball in a marking contest only to have Port's Hamish Hartlett knock it away and then grab it. With Hartlett looking to play on a break clear, the field umpire amazingly awarded him a mark. He converted the kick to give the Power a seven-point lead. Soon after Chad Wingard received a free kick close to goal after a crude knock from Eagle skipper Darren Glass. Wingard also converted and gave Port a 14-point buffer.

The Eagles battled on and a goal to Jamie Cripps brought them back within seven points as the last quarter entered time-on but Jay Schulz sealed the deal for Port with a goal at the 24-minute mark which saw the Power home by 14 points.

It was an impressive away-from-home win from the Power, who move into second place on the ladder after Hawthorn's loss to Geelong on Easter Monday. The result sets up a mouth-watering contest at the Adelaide Oval next Sunday where Port will host top-of-the-ladder Geelong. The winner of that match will claim that top spot.

West Coast's loss was compounded by the fact that Darren Glass's knock on Wingard resulted in a rough conduct charge and he was suspended for one match. The Eagles, who lost their first three matches, have now lost two on the trot and have several injury concerns. They will face the Blues, who broke through for their first win of the year against the Bulldogs on Sunday, at Docklands next Saturday.

GOALS
West Coast: Darling 2; Kennedy, Wellingham, Masten, Cox, Cripps
Port Adelaide: Ebert, R Gray, Schulz 2; White, Lobbe, Hartlett, Wingard

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
West Coast: Darling, Priddis, Bennell, Glass, Hutchings, Shuey, Rosa
Port Adelaide: Gray, Ebert, Carlile, Cassisi, Hartlett, Polec

BEST - WATODAY.COM.AU
West Coast: Priddis, Darling, Masten, Bennell, Shuey, Gaff
Port Adelaide: Ebert, Grey, Polec, White, Lobbe, Schultz

INJURIES
West Coast: Ellis (calf)
Port Adelaide: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Dom Sheed replaced Xavier Ellis (calf) in the first quarter.
Port Adelaide: Aaron Young replaced Sam Gray at three-quarter time.

UMPIRES: Rosebury, Farmer, Foot

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Matthew Campbell, Tony Shaw, Mark Ricciuto, Cameron Mooney