Rnd 9 - Swans pip Port

[liz]

What a game. What an utterly wonderful game. And while the round 2 belting of Port was pretty to watch, this win was ten times more satisfying, coming as it did against a team in far better form than back then, and in front of their rabid crowd to boot.

Despite holding a lead of around 2 goals for much of the game, it was a contest that the Swans were never really in control of. And when that final, frantic quarter kicked off and Port slashed the margin within minutes, defeat seemed the only likely outcome. And yet our boys survived ten minutes of being barricaded in defence, were saved by some errant kicking for goal by Port, and finally wrestled their way back into the contest. Mattner, superb all afternoon, probably saved the game with his lunging tackle on Pearce that stopped a certain goal. And moments later, Moore pounced on the ball at the other end, put down his foot, and brought Sydney back level on the scoreboard. All that was needed was some heroics from Schmidt and a cool McVeigh and the Swans emerged triumphant from this pulsating game.

Goals:
Port: Ebert 6 Tredrea 3 Motlop 2 Lade Gray P Burgoyne
Sydney: Moore 3 O'Loughlin 2 O'Keefe 2 McVeigh 2 Buchanan 2 Schmidt Jolly Kirk Bevan C Bolton.

Best:
Port: Ebert Lade Salopek Casissi Tredrea K Cornes Carlisle
Sydney: Kirk Mattner Moore J Bolton O'Keefe Goodes Buchanan

Injuries:
Port: Ebert (ankle)

Reports: None

Umpires: Margetts, Rosebury, McInerney

Crowd: 25,013 at AAMI Stadium.