PORT ADELAIDE has fallen for a second time this season to West Adelaide in Round 17 of the SANFL.
A seven-goal masterclass from West forward Jono Beech led the Bloods to a 26-point win at home.
The Magpies came to City Mazda Stadium at Richmond eager to avenge a 32-point loss to the Bloods earlier in the season but the task was made more difficult with several players missing through injury and AFL call-ups.
Jimmy Toumpas also withdrew with a wrist injury, allowing 19-year-old Michael Ortiz to make his SANFL debut.
In a disappointing opening quarter, the Magpies failed to score – the second week in succession they have been held scoreless.
Skipper Steven Summerton was busy with 15 disposals across
The Magpies had the Bloods’ poor accuracy to thank that the margin wasn’t more than the eleven they trailed by at the first break, as the home side failed to make the most of a significant breeze.
The visitors finally got their scoring going in the second quarter with Aidyn Johnson taking an intercept mark inside 50 and slotting his set shot.
Peter Ladhams out bodied an opponent inside the goal square soon after to walk in for his side’s second but West continued to find avenues to score down the other end as they opened up a 16-point advantage with Jono Beech’s second goal.
Levi Proude snapped a goal around his body to close the gap, and Harrison Morgan thought he had the Magpies’ second goal in a minute but his snap from 30 metres was judged to have been touched off the boot.
Will Snelling’s late snap carried with the breeze and the Magpies went into the main break with a nine-point deficit, with both sides having booted four goals in the second term.
The home side started to use the advantage of the breeze in the third term, booting the first three goals.
The Magpies were down to just one on the bench with Trent McKenzie failing a concussion test and Levi
McKenzie’s absence forced ruckman Billy Frampton into the backline where he toiled manfully against the big body of former Power-listed player Daniel Webb.
Jake Neade, in his 50th game, had the Magpies best chance to stop his side’s goal drought but his shot from 50 metres out on a slight angle went out on the full.
Gavin Colville’s side made the most of it with Jono Beach the beneficiary.
He booted three goals for the quarter to make it five for the game, and the Magpies only just avoided being held scoreless into the breeze again with Morgan kicking a behind after the siren as the lead stretched to 45 points at the final change.
West booted the first two goals of the quarter with Beech making it seven for the day.
But the Magpies are renowned for their fight and it was on show in the final term as they responded with the next five goals.
Will Snelling booted two of them but it was too little too late, as they fell by 26-points.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 0.0 4.3 4.4 9.7 (61)
WEST ADELAIDE 1.5 5.7 10.13 12.15 (87)
Goals
Snelling 3, Ladhams 2, Hewett, Johnson, Morgan,
Best
Snelling, Gray, Trengove, Summerton, Kluske, Hewett
Crowd
N/A at City Mazda Stadium, Richmond
