A FOURTH-QUARTER surge was not enough for Port Adelaide to bridge the gap against West Coast on Saturday night. 

The game - evenly matched throughout the night - was surely decided by the Eagles' ability to finish up forward with open opportunities to mark or deliver the ball to key forward Josh Kennedy, who finished with seven for the night. 

For Port Adelaide, its struggle to do the same could be pointed to as one of the primary frustrations for its loss.

The Power didn't use the ball poorly, but it was mobbed at ground level when the ball went inside 50 thanks to West Coast's pressure.

West Coast by contrast was able to use an open forward line to deliver the ball to Kennedy or one of its other forwards who were able to break free of the Power's defence. 

Trailing by 25 points at half time, Port was kept in the game through persistence.

While the Eagles were able to score in doubles, the Power chalked up three consecutive goals in the third term to trail by 19 points at the final change. 

But the Power were unable to continue its momentum early in the final quarter, as the match descended further into the all-night scrap it had been for much of the game.

Late goals to Polec, Wingard and Young's fourth in his milestone game brought the margin within eight points with 14 seconds left on the clock.  

Tom Jonas will come under scrutiny of the Match Review Panel after a late hit on Andrew Gaff saw the Eagle forward taken from the ground on a stretcher. 

Robbie Gray was also reported for a kick to Mark LeCras' ankle in the final term.

Not dissimilar from a late collision between Jonas and Patrick Dangerfield in Round 5, the ensuing brawl looked set to define the rest of the game.

But unlike Round 5, the Power settled after the melee and responded with seven of the last nine goals of the game.

The loss is another dent in the Power's top eight aspirations, with an always challenging trip to Alice Springs on the cards next weekend. 

Port Adelaide plays Melbourne at TIO Traeger Park on Saturday 28 May at 1.40pm (ACST).

Highlights

 

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE                     3.1   5.3     9.6    13.8 (86)
WEST COAST EAGLES             5.2    9.4   12.7   14.10 (94)

GOALS
Young 4, Wingard 3, Dixon 2, Hartlett, Ebert, Westhoff, Polec

PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU’S BEST
Polec, Young, Dixon, Ebert, Polec

DISPOSALS
Gray 28, Boak 26, Polec, Wines 24

INJURIES
Byrne-Jones (TBC), Hartlett (TBC)

REPORTS
Jonas in the third quarter for striking, Gray in the fourth quarter for tripping by umpire McInerney

CROWD
38,695 at the Adelaide Oval