Australian Football

Match Report

Port Adelaide has recorded a thrilling three-point win over Collingwood on Friday night, withstanding a strong finish from the Magpies to hold on and keep its finals chances alive. The Power started of strongly and led by 26 points at quarter time before a big burst from Collingwood early in the second term saw the Pies hit the lead. Port regained the lead before the long break, and in a low-scoring and dour second half, did just enough to sneak home. 

The Power got off to a great start, with Robbie Gray goaling within the first three minutes, and when Jarman Impey, Justin Westhoff and Jay Schulz added majors over the next 12 minutes, Port was suddenly ahead 26 to nil. Collingwood managed to halt the torrent of goals after that, with Scott Pendlebury getting the Pies on the board with one of his own. Chad Wingard got one in the dying seconds of the term, restoring a 26-point advantage to the Power at the first break. 

Fans could have been forgiven for thinking the teams had swapped jumpers at quarter time as Collingwood me out in the second term and take complete control. Within the first seven minutes Jarrod Witts, Jack Crisp and Jesse White had all kicked goals and the Pies were back within seven points. As they did in the first quarter, the goals dried up after that. Adam Oxley kicked Collingwood's fifth at the 19-minute mark to level the scores but a late one to Angus Monfries saw Port lead by seven at the half. 

Robbie Gray kicked an early major in the third term, as he had done in the first, to give Port a 13-point buffer, after which the Power attacked heavily without making much impact on the scoreboard, adding four behinds to Collingwood's one. Wingard's second goal at the 17-minute mark saw the margin out to 22 points in Port's favour but the Pies hit back late in the term, and goals to Alex Fasolo and Jamie Elliott saw them back within 11 points at the last end change.

Wingard's third at the five-minute mark of the final term gave Port Adelaide what looked like a decisive 18-point break. Amazingly, though, that was to be the Power's last score of the match. The next 28 minutes saw Collingwood control the game and attack heavily. But the Port defence held up and goals proved hard to come by for the Pies. A brace of majors to Jordan de Goey and Taylor Adams brought the Pies to within a goal at the 16-minute mark, and they continued to press for the remainder of the match. But Port stood firm and the net result of Collingwood's forward thrusts for the remainder of the match was three behinds, one to Pendlebury and two rushed, and the Power scraped home in a thriller by three points.

Best for the winners included Ollie Wines (33 disposals, 10 tackles), Westhoff (26 possessions, eight tackles) and Jack Hombsch, who kept Travis Cloke well held, while for Collingwood, Adams (38 touches and six tackles), Dane Swan (33 possessions, eight tackles) and Travis Varcoe (20 disposals and seven tackles) all played well.

Port remains two games outside the eight and will need to beat arch-rivals Adelaide in next Sunday's showdown to stay in touch. Collingwood have slipped to seventh after three close losses, and the Pies have another tough match to come against West Coast at Docklands next Saturday. 

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Wingard 3; Gray 2; Impey, Westhoff, Schulz, Monfries
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Witts, Crisp, White, Oxley, Fasolo, De Goey, Adams, Elliott

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Hombsch, Wines, Gray, Westhoff, Wingard, Boak, Broadbent
Collingwood: Varcoe, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Adams, Swan

BEST - THE AGE
Port Adelaide: Wines, Wingard, Westhoff, Boak, Broadbent R Gray
Collingwood: Adams, Swan, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Langdon

INJURIES 
Port Adelaide: Nil
Collingwood: Broomhead (shoulder)

SUBSTITUTES 
Port Adelaide: Brendon Ah Chee replaced Matthew Lobbe at three-quarter time
Collingwood: Jordan De Goey replaced Tim Broomhead (shoulder) in the third quarter

UMPIRES: Nicholls, Kamolins, Meredith

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Brian Taylor, Wayne Carey, Matthew Richardson