Australian Football

Match Report

Two late goals against the run of play have seen the West Coast Eagles register an upset win over Adelaide at Football Park on Saturday night.

In a match that saw the lead change several times throughout the evening, it appeared that the Crows had the match in their keeping, leading West Coast by 13 points as the clock ticked in to time-on in the last quarter. But the Eagles kicked the goals at just the right moments to record a momentous six-point win. Substitute Andrew Embley marked 35 metres out with 21 minutes gone and he kicked truly to reduce the margin to seven points.

Mark LeCras kicked a behind two minutes later to reduce the difference to six points, before ex-Lion Bradd Dalziell kicked a goal to level the scores with 27 minutes gone.

With a minute remaining Eagle Josh Kennedy grabbed the ball on the boundary outside the 50-metre arc, ran across the arc and kicked the goal that gave the Eagles victory against the odds. The goal was Kennedy's fourth and he played a pivotal role for the Eagles throughout the match. Matthew Priddis (33 disposals) and Chris Masten (39 possessions) were also towers of strength for West Coast.

Adelaide was gallant in defeat and Patrick Dangerfield (26 touches and a goal), Brad Crouch (26 possessions) and Richard Douglas (22 disposals) were all fine contributors for the Crows.

The match was vital for both sides' chances of playing in the finals, and West Coast's win keeps it within one game of the top eight. For the Crows the loss means they are now two games plus percentage away from eighth-placed Port Adelaide.

West Coast takes on Fremantle in the Derby next Sunday afternoon, while the Crows will travel to the MCG this Friday night ton take on Collingwood, who are three games ahead of Adelaide in seventh place.

GOALS
Adelaide: Lynch, Porplyzia 2; Mckernan, Sloane, Jenkins, Dangerfield, Wright
West Coast: Kennedy 4; Hill, LeCras, Cripps, Schofield, McGinnity, Embley, Dalziell

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Crouch, Dangerfield, Lynch, Douglas, Henderson, Rutten, Porplyzia
West Coast: Kennedy, Masten, Naitanui, Priddis, LeCras, Waters, Embley

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Dangerfield, Douglas, Henderson, Crouch, Thompson, Smith, Porplyzia
West Coast: Priddis, Dalziell, Masten, Kennedy, Mackenzie, Waters, McGinnity

COACHES' COMMENTS
Brenton Sanderson (Adel): I feel like we controlled the game for the majority of it. We had some bad patches and we shouldn't let a game like that slip to be honest. There were just fundamental errors at critical times, which is disappointing.

John Worsfold (WCo): I think we've been pretty proud of the last three weeks. We've had three big efforts against the Hawks, Essendon and Adelaide and we've lost players all the way through there and had to bring in other players but the guys that have taken the field have really given everything over that period.

INJURIES
Adelaide: Aidan Riley (ankle)
West Coast: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Matthew Jeansch replaced Aidan Riley (ankle) in the first quarter
West Coast: Andrew Embley replaced Jacob Brennan in the third quarter.

REPORTS
Adelaide: Shaun Mckernan for striking Brad Sheppard in the first quarter
West Coast: Nil

UMPIRES: McBurney, Stewart, Armstrong