Saints edge Port Adelaide in AFLW thriller
Coach Nick Dal Santo has hailed St Kilda’s resolve after they shook off a six-game AFLW losing streak with a thrilling two-point victory over Port Adelaide.
In a see-sawing clash at RSEA Park, Power skipper Erin Phillips picked out Gemma Houghton in the closing minutes for a chance to win the game.
But the forward’s set shot was ruled to have hit the post and the inaccurate Saints held on for a nervous 4.11 (35) to 5.3 (33) victory at RSEA Park, condemning the Power to a fifth straight defeat.
“It’s been a tough month. We’ve had some close losses, we’ve been blown out in particular games,” Dal Santo told reporters.
“But I was really proud of our group’s resolve today and ability to keep pushing.
“We were down by roughly a couple of goals at halftime and 파라오카지노 we just stayed the course.”
Kate Shierlaw (six marks, five score involvements) was a towering figure up forward for the Saints while Georgia Patrikios (19 disposals) was typically influential.
Phillips exerted her influence on the contest for Port, racking up 21 touches, while Hannah Ewings had nine clearances and 17 touches.
Shierlaw teed up St Kilda’s opening goal in the first 37 seconds and kicked her own later in the term, but Port kept within touching distance at quarter-time via goals to Ewings and Jade De Melo.
In the second term, St Kilda pair Olivia Vesely and Tarni White had a nasty head clash.
While White played on with a taped nose, Vesely’s day ended early through concussion and the Saints missed her strength around stoppages.
The Power seized control of the clearances and Kate Surman levelled the scores, before Lily Johnson put them in front.
Then Houghton, in her 50th game, outmarked three players and kicked truly to extend Port’s lead to 12 at the main break.
St Kilda came out of halftime breathing fire and regained a four-point lead at the final change.
Phillips came to the bench late in the third term looking proppy in her left knee, which was strapped all day, but returned and threw everything at the Saints.
Port kept St Kilda scoreless in the final term but only scored two points themselves to fall short.
“It’s probably the game where we’ve been the most inconsistent in the brand of footy we want to play for four quarters,” Power coach Lauren Arnell told reporters.
“So it’s certainly frustrating in that element and we know we can be better.
“But we also know there’s elements of what we do which we need to give time to and you can’t rush that.”
