PORT Adelaide has continued its dream start to the 2015 SANFL season, holding off North Adelaide at Alberton Oval by 38 points on Saturday afternoon.
Despite a sluggish start and only managing three majors late in the final term, the Magpies early-season quest received another boost with their second consecutive win.
An even contribution across the group, particularly from Paul Stewart, Sam Colquhoun, Karl Amon and Darcy Byrne-Jones, helped the Magpies to a seven-goal-to-four third quarter, which set up the win.
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The dewy conditions made the contest an early scrap and both sides found it difficult to hit targets, causing a tight contest for the first half.
But that didn’t stop a fierce battle, and the crowd was treated to a half full of hard tackling and players desperate to win the inside ball throwing their bodies at each contest.
While Port Adelaide ran rampant over the visitors in most key statistics, the half time scoreboard had it leading by only 12 points.
The home side was comfortably winning the inside-50 count, more than doubling the Roosters (29-12) by half time, but the Magpies could not turn that into any real advantage and failed to create scoreboard pressure following a string of poor entries and inaccuracy up forward.
Port Adelaide began to open the game up in the third term and quick movement through the corridor and long kicking paved the way for a dominant quarter.
Scoring four unanswered goals, the amplified defensive pressure of Paul Stewart, Sam Colquhoun, Andrew Moore and Louis Sharrad gave the home side the edge.
Skipper Steven Summerton also recovered from his slow start and worked hard pushing forward to put his name on the scoresheet and set up a few goals.
Despite dropping away slightly in the final term, a strong team performance combined with late goals to Jake Neade and Andrew Moore kept the Roosters at bay.
Neade will take confidence from his effort after booting three goals, while Jarrad Redden finished with 30 hit-outs, helping with his quest for some consistent form after returning from almost two years out of the game.
Port Adelaide will look to continue its good form as it heads to the Adelaide Oval to host Norwood next Friday night in an Anzac Day eve clash.
LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 3.5 5.9 12.12 15.15 (105)
NORTH ADELAIDE 3.0 4.2 8.2 10.7 (67)
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Stewart, Colquhoun, Logan, Clurey, O'Shea, Summerton
GOALS
Neade 3, Butcher, Summerton, Moore 2, Amon, Palmer, Redden, Stewart, Colquhoun, S Gray
CROWD
1,871, at Alberton Oval
Earlier in the day, Port Adelaide's Academy side drew with North Adelaide in the SANFL Reserves.
The young Magpies were able to claw their way back from being 13 points down at three-quarter time to scrape through with a draw.
Academy coach Mark Clayton was disappointed his side could not hold an early lead, but was proud of his players' never-give-in attitude.
"I am disappointed because we didn't do a few things well, but we did do well to come back when we were down and we fought back to get the draw," Clayton told portadelaidefc.com.au.
"Our skill errors in that second quarter cost us and our turnovers and they were able to get in and score."
ACADEMY SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE ACADEMY 3.2 5.2 9.3 12.8 (80)
NORTH ADELAIDE RESERVES 0.3 7.6 10.10 11.14 (80)
Best: Haarsma, Anthony, Biemans, R. Young, Davidson, Mahney
