Australian Football

Match Report

Port Adelaide's fairytale season has continued with a remarkable come-from-behind win against West Coast at Football Park. In a thrilling finish, the Power clawed back from 41 points behind at the 19-minute mark of the third quarter to kick eight of the last nine goals of the match and pip the Eagles by five points.

The Power went into this match equal-top of the ladder but it appeared their bubble had burst in the first quarter against the Eagles, with West Coast kicking 4.4 to 1.0 in the first term to establish a 22-point lead at quarter time. The Eagles went on with the job in the second quarter, with goals to Josh Kennedy, Josh Hill and Jack Darling, while Port could again only manage one for the term via Angus Monfries. The margin was 38-points at half time and should have been more but West Coast squandered opportunities in the second term, kicking nine behinds.

Early goals in the third quarter to Chad Wingard and Paul Stewart cut the margin back to 27 but Ashton Hams and Chris Masten replied for the Eagles and they lead by 41 points 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter. From there the tide turned. Wingard kicked another goal and Jake Neade followed up with a further goal for the Power a minute later. When Matthew Broadbent scored a goal at the 25-minute mark, it was three in a row to Port and the margin at the last change was just 21 points.

The Power kept coming when the final term began, with Hamish Hartlett kicking a goal in the first minute. Kane Cornes, in his 250th game followed suit at the seven-minute mark to reduce the difference to just nine points. Not long after Travis Boak kicked two goals within the space of 90 seconds and the Power were amazingly in front.

The remainder of the match was an arm-wrestle. A Bradd Dalziell goal restored the lead to West Coast at the 16-minute mark but two minutes later Angus Monfries ran in and kicked his second to put Port back in front. No further goals were scored over the next 12 minutes and the Power hung on to record one of their best wins of recent seasons.

The Power (5 wins, 0 losses) are second on the ladder and will be full of confidence when they go to Hobart to take on North Melbourne next Saturday. The Eagles (1-4) will return to Perth to take on the Bulldogs, a match West Coast will be desperate to win.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Wingard, Boak, Monfries, Hartlett 2; Stewart, Neade, Broadbent, Cornes
West Coast: Kennedy 4; Cripps, Hill, Darling, Masten, Hams, Dalziell

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Hartlett, Boak, Neade, Wingard, Cornes, O'Shea
West Coast: Selwood, Shuey, Brown, Gaff, Kennedy, Cox

BEST - ADELAIDE ADVERTISER
Port Adelaide: Hartlett, Boak, Wingard, Neade, O'Shea, Cornes
West Coast: Selwood, Shuey, Glass, Kennedy, Gaff, Waters

COACHES' COMMENTS
Ken Hinkley (Port): Our biggest problem [at half time] was to make sure we had some effort, and if we brought some effort, we'd put ourselves in the contest. The important part is that we showed some effort. In the end you get what you deserve if you keep at it and that's what we got.

John Worsfold (WCo): We certainly missed a few opportunities [kicking for goal]. We need to be tougher mentally and kick the goals. We expect them to kick the goals, not all the time but certainly some of the ones they've missed over the last couple of weeks.

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Pittard (general soreness) replaced in selected side by Lewis Stevenson
West Coast: Matthew Priddis (concussion)

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Robbie Gray replaced Jackson Trengove in the third quarter
West Coast: Jamie Cripps replaced Matthew Priddis in the first quarter

REPORTS
Port Adelaide: Nil
West Coast: Darren Glass by umpire Pannell for rough conduct against Port Adelaide's Paul Stewart in the second quarter

UMPIRES: Fila, Kamolins, Pannell