PORT ADELAIDE coach Tyson Goldsack said it was a ‘good feeling’ to return to Alberton Oval and get the win over fierce rival Norwood by seven points on Saturday afternoon.

The Magpies had last defeated the Redlegs back in June 2019, and Goldsack was thrilled the win coincided with the first home game of the season.

“It’s really good, our first game at Alberton this year, so to mix those two in the same day was really nice,” he said.

“The feeling underneath was ecstatic. Going back-to-back wins was great, we’ve found a nice little bit of consistency in our performance.

“It was tight throughout, it was a game that had its ups and downs for both teams. We had some momentum, they wrestled it back. We came into it knowing it’d be a hard-fought game.”

“They’re a great stoppage side, very good with their contested positions.”

Port had copped an early blow with experienced ruckman Scott Lycett ruled out late with lingering back stiffness after a knock suffered in the win over West Adelaide in Loxton.

However, Goldsack was pleased with how ruck pair Dante Visentini and Sam Hayes covered his absence.

“Fortunately for us we have a lot of talls, we didn’t lack height, we just lacked the experience that Scott brings us,” he said.

“We’d rather have him than not have him, we knew (Norwood’s Harry) Boyd was a really good ruckman in serious form, so we had to try and match him in that area, and Sam Hayes and Dante Visentini did the job.”

When the going got tough down back, Tom Clurey and Jake Pasini stood tall, and Goldsack had plenty of plaudits for the duo.

“He (Pasini) was probably our best player in the first half, there were question marks on how he was going to go after a serious corky last week,” he said.

“He put his hand up to play and the way he came out and contested some of the big aerial balls, he was impressive.

“(Clurey) had some really big moments, late especially, and just the way he uses the ball, he’s composed and doesn’t blaze away, it was important for us.”

Despite the blow of Lycett going out of the side pre-game, Port got off to a perfect start and controlled the first half of the opening term.

Early misses from Hugh Jackson and the returning Ollie Lord from AFL duty were unfortunate, but Hayes took a strong contested mark and scored the opening major.

While the Magpies missed some chances, the Redlegs followed with their own blemishes.

Ben Jarvis marked 15 metres out for the visitors, but missed as the blustery conditions at Alberton took control.

However, Brayden Kirk was having no such issues as he scooped the ball up from just outside 50 and roosted it home to open up an early 13-point lead.

Both teams had poor moments in the first quarter, but a brave flying back-with-the-pack mark from Pasini had the home crowd impressed.

The Redlegs would eventually find their feet and cancel out the Magpies’ early lead through two majors, courtesy of Baynen Lowe.

Despite the shift in momentum, Magpie Cody Szust had the ball in hand at the first siren, but missed to the left to ensure his side led by two points going into the quarter-time break.

The wind was causing havoc, but Port made the most of it in a scrappy second quarter.

Aidan Turner would get the first opportunity out of nothing, managing just to chip the last defender and squeeze the ball home.

After a best on ground performance last week, young Tom Scully started to get involved in the game, and his contest allowed Ollie Cheesman to dribble home.

The two sides were locked away in a tussle for the rest of the second term, with neither able to find a clear-cut chance at goal.

The Magpies held the Redlegs goalless and took a 15-point lead into the main change.

Norwood began to get on top in the clearances and took control of the game early in the third and Port Adelaide’s lead quickly disappeared amid majors from Matt Panos and Goy Lok, with two points the difference.

Lok would then give Norwood the lead from the top of the square, leaving the Magpies with questions to answer.

Cheesman had an opportunity against the run of play to give the Magpies back the lead after receiving a free kick, but connected with the woodwork.

The Magpies had wrestled back the momentum and kept the ball down their end, forcing the Redlegs into errors.

Nathan Barkla would then capitalise on one of those errors, receiving a free kick for a high tackle and converting the set shot, with a wobbler.

Heavy hits and bone-crunching contests opened the final quarter, somewhat reminiscent of the SANFL days of old.

Norwood had three early opportunities at the scoreboard, missing two for a behind and another altogether, keeping the Magpies’ slim lead intact early.

Lok soon booted his third from the top of the square and the visitors led by five points.

Scully soon had his moment for the afternoon, taking a towering pack mark and converting, much to the delight of the Port faithful.

Lachie Jones would prove composed down back, taking a mark at half-back and finding Lord, who sent it inside forward 50.

Nick Moore crumbed the ball and sent it home for back-to-back goals for the first time since the second term for the Magpies, and more importantly, a seven-point buffer.

Lord then went from provider to goalkicker, plucking the ball from the clouds and converting, restoring a 13-point lead.

Yet, Norwood wasn’t going away.

Jarvis hit the post, but the Magpies couldn’t clear from the 50 and, after receiving a free kick, Nick Lowden cut the margin to a goal in time on.

A tense stoppage in the middle went Port’s way, with Jackson breaking away to deliver inside 50 and a final behind from Scully took the final margin to seven points.

Hugh Jackson led all comers with 23 touches on the day, while Turner finished with 18 and Jase Burgoyne, 17.

Goldsack said Jackson’s impact around the ball has been significant in recent weeks.

“I had him in our best last week, his work around the stoppage and to break away from it was good, and to show it against a more experienced midfield and ruckman was really good,” he said.

“He’s now coming into form and playing some good footy.”

SCOREBOARD

Port Adelaide   2.5       4.8       5.9       8.10     (58)

Norwood          2.3       2.5       5.6       7.9       (51)

Port Adelaide

Goals: Cheesman, Kirk, Hayes, Barkla, Turner, Lord, Scully, Moore.

Best: Clurey, Jackson, Pasini, Moore, Visentini.