PORT ADELAIDE has recorded its second straight loss in the SANFL, falling to Norwood by 24 points at the Parade.

The home side set up the win with a dominant opening and despite a late charge by the Magpies, were comfortable winners.

Having been presented his number 33 guernsey by his seven-time Premiership player father Tim Ginever, debutant Darcy Ginever started in the backline and was the Magpies’ highest disposal getter with seven in a disappointing opening quarter.

The seventh-placed Redlegs were sharper, faster and smarter around the ground and had five first quarter goals to one – Kane Farrell’s opportunistic soccer goal off the ground the only real highlight.

The Magpies responded early in the second term, with Jack Kluske and Joe Atley each booting goals to close the gap to eleven points after just five minutes.

But the Redlegs hit back through Lewis Johnston, acting captain Matthew Panos and Luke Surman to open it back out to a 28-point margin.

And it could have been worse, when Joel Garner was deemed to have infringed on Brady Dawe but his shot sprayed across the face and out on the full.

The high-scoring term continued with Kyle Crompton booting his first for the evening after latching onto a ball deep inside 50, and Kluske booting his second after being too quick to respond to a ball over the top.

But the home side appeared to have all the answers, with Panos booting his third to keep the visitors at bay.

Six goals down at the main break, the Magpies again started the term well with Farrell snapping the first goal.

The sides traded goals, including a nice snap around the body by second-gamer Mitch Mead, but the Magpies couldn’t close the margin.

Tom Rockliff and Sam Powell-Pepper started to lift the tempo through the midfield and it seemed to work when Rockliff found Billy Frampton on a lead inside 50 and the big man slotted a goal from 45 metres out in the pocket.

Emmanuel Irra tried to spark his side with a lunging tackle inside 50 when his opponent was baring down on an open goal, but the Redlegs again found a way to goal to retain a six goal margin at the final change.

The Norwood Oval crowd had barely found time to sit down after the break when Will Snelling stepped up to boot the first of the final quarter.

It seemed the Magpies were determined to try one last push, but their night was perhaps summed up best when Frampton appeared to punch through a Redlegs set shot for a behind, but it was stopped on the line by Surman to boot through his fourth.

Then the game turned and Port grabbed the momentum.

They had four consecutive goals as Powell-Pepper and Rockliff continued to terrorise the Redlegs midfield to close the gap to just three goals.

But a long bomb from Peter Bampton ended the run and any hope of a come-from-behind win – the Redlegs holding on to win by 24 points.

SCOREBOARD

NORWOOD                      5.5        11.7      14.9      17.12              (114)

PORT ADELAIDE               1.4        5.6        8.9        13.12              (90)

Goals

Powell-Pepper, Kluske, Farrell 2, Atley, Frampton, Patmore, Crompton, Mead, Snelling

Best

Rockliff, Powell-Pepper, Toumpas, Ginever, Farrell

Crowd

2642 at Norwood Oval

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