PORT Adelaide has been defeated by Geelong in a Thursday-night thriller at Simonds Stadium.

The Power led from the 17-minute mark of the final quarter before Patrick Dangerfield landed a cruel blow on a brave Port Adelaide side, kicking the match-winner with 90-seconds to play.

Port Adelaide moves to a 5-4 record ahead of a Thursday night clash back at Adelaide Oval against the Hawks.

How it unfolded
Quarter 1
The Cats had significantly more of the ball inside their attacking half with 17-8 inside 50s, but it was the Power who converted their chances going forward.

A turnover from the hosts gave Sam Gray the first of the game, bursting into an open goal.

The Cats continued to pepper the goals without converting while Young and Westhoff goaled for the Power.

The Power held an 8-point lead at the first break with Geelong kicking 1.5 from their 17 inside 50s.

Quarter 2
Patrick Dangerfield asserted his authority in the second quarter, kicking the first two goals and setting the third up through Tom Hawkins.

With the Cats holding a double figure lead, goals to Robbie Gray and Brendon Ah Chee wrestled back the lead for the visitors.

The Power struggled to create run in the second term and the Cats capitalised on their advantage in possession, kicking the final two goals of the quarter to hold an 8-point half time lead.

Jared Polec was among the Power’s best in the first half with 18 disposals.

Quarter 3
Charlie Dixon got good reward for his hard work up forward, grabbing a strong mark on the behind line and converting from the snap.

Sam Powell-Pepper then bullocked his way through a pack and snapped one home to give the Power their first lead since the five-minute mark of the second quarter.

Quarter 4
The fourth quarter started out as a tense battle between two sides desperate to push into the top four.

Blicavs kicked a miracle from deep in the pocket before Paddy Ryder answered back for the Power four minutes later.

Jared Polec then gave the Power the lead at the 17 minute mark of the final term with a set shot from the intersection of 50m and the boundary.

When Charlie Dixon marked with less than five minutes on the clock to line up from 40m, it looked as though the Power could stretch their lead beyond 3 points. But the key forward was called to play on, having started his run up just after the 30-second shot clock expired.

A kick to the top of the square wasn’t the result the Power were after.

The Cats pressed and pressed and eventually they cracked a dogged Power defence, with Patrick Dangerfield swooping on a scrappy kick to snap home the winner with 90 seconds to play.

The Power pushed for a late winner, but Robbie Gray couldn’t grab hold of a very difficult mark with 30 seconds to play and the Cats ran out victors by two points.

Full time
Port Adelaide  3.1   5.6   9.9    11.13 (79) defeated by
Geelong           1.5  6.8   9.14   11.11 (81)
Goals: R Gray 3, S Gray, Young, Polec, Ah Chee, Ryder, Dixon, Powell-Pepper, Westhoff
portadelaidefc.com.au’s best: Ryder, R Gray, Polec, Ebert
Injuries: TBC
Crowd: 24,909 at Simonds Stadium