PORT Adelaide has come back from 36 points down midway through the second quarter to produce a huge second half and defeat Central District by eight points at Playford Alive Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies' narrow escape was assured when skipper Steve Summerton booted his second goal at the 27-minute mark of the final term.
VOTE: ENERGYAUSTRALIA MAGPIES FANS' MVP
In a see-sawing final quarter, the captain marked strongly and kicked truly to seal the tight match.
The victory helps Port Adelaide keep a hold on a spot in the top four and in touch with the league leaders.
Port lacked its trademark run-and-carry in the first half as Central ran riot.
The visitors found it difficult to lay a hand on the football and, when they did, clean possession and precise passing were hard to manufacture.
The Bulldogs' 10-point quarter-time lead blew out when they steamed ahead in the second term by booting four unanswered goals.
But their inaccuracy in front of goals early, came back to bite them
The Magpies were inspired by Ah Chee, Moore and Mitchell's work at the stoppages late in the second quarter and goals to Colquhoun and Harvey cut a spiralling margin back to four goals at the main break.
Port Adelaide was able to take that momentum into the third quarter and went on to pile on five unanswered goals.
Photo finish
But Central was relentless in its desperation to notch up a third win and wouldn’t concede.
The third quarter surge had the Magpies hold a six-point advantage at three quarter time, but the Bulldogs got back out to a seven-point lead midway through the final quarter.
The lead changed a further two times when a goal to Mitchell put the Magpies back in front by seven points; Central hit back at the other end to reduce Port Adelaide's lead to just one point before Summerton kicked the sealer.
Port Adelaide will travel to Richmond for its Round 10 clash with third-placed West Adelaide on Saturday 13 June.
LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 2.1 5.1 10.3 13.7 (85)
CENTRAL DISTRICT 3.5 8.7 8.9 11.11(77)
PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU’S BEST
Ah Chee, Moore, Mitchell, Sharrad, Krakouer
GOALS
Colquhoun, Frampton, Harvey, Summerton 2, R. Young, Moore, Mitchell, Palmer, Mitchell
INJURIES
Nil
ACADEMY REPORT
Earlier at Playford Alive Oval, Port Adelaide's Academy team notched up its second win in-a-row by thrashing Central District's reserves by 98 points.
Port Adelaide's midfielders ran riot through the middle and at the stoppages, outrunning and outworking the Dogs after half time to boot seven goals and hold the Bulldogs to just two points.
Port Adelaide's percentage-boosting victory was the first consecutive win for the side's 2015 campaign and follows last week's narrow win against Glenelg.
Coach Mark Clayton hoped the side would continue to build on the past two week's results and continue the momentum of another whole-team effort.
"I was really happy because the boys stuck to what we asked them to do and they were finally rewarded for their effort," Clayton said.
"The two loses we had before the win last week, we were starting to build (in form) a little bit, we played a half, and then three-quarters, and then got the win last week and then carried it on today.
"Hopefully we start to build on that momentum going forward and we have another winnable game next week, so hopefully we can carry it forward and get another good result."
ACADEMY SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 6.5 8.8 15.10 23.13 (151)
CENTRAL DISTRICT 3.1 6.3 6.5 8.5 (53)
PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU’S BEST
Reynolds, Deely-Goodfrey, Cooper, Hawkins, Williams, Northeast
GOALS
Reynolds 5, Deeley-Godfrey, Miller, Northeast 3, Gordon 2, Cook, Corcoran, Foster, Hawkins, Ross, Sawford, Williams 1
