TonyK
CibbuanoCrows hold off brave Bombers
May 30th 2008 13:25
ADELAIDE has held on for a thrilling five-point win over a gallant Essendon side at AAMI Stadium on Friday night.
The Crows' poor kicking in front of goal almost cost them the game, but they managed to prevail, 9.20 (74) to 10.9 (69).
Adelaide forward Brett Burton bounced back from a disappointing performance against West Coast last weekend with 21 possessions and two goals.
Scott Thompson starred in the middle for the Crows with a game-high 33 possessions and one goal, while Nathan Bock and Ben Rutten did a superb blanketing job on Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas.
For Essendon, Adam McPhee tried hard all night and finished with 16 possessions, 12 marks and three goals.
Andrew Lovett (21 possessions) provided plenty of run from defence, while Jason Winderlich was busy with 22 disposals, 10 marks and two goals.
Essendon's willingness to win the contested football and move the football quickly inside 50 paid instant dividends as they booted the first three goals of the match within eight minutes.
Adelaide struggled to match Essendon's intensity and attack on the football, and it took until the 23rd minute for ruckman Ivan Maric to ram home Adelaide's only goal of the term after a series of six behinds.
Despite booting just one goal for the term, Adelaide trailed by only nine points at quarter-time.
The Crows got off to the perfect start in the second term with goals to Jason Porplyzia and Graham Johncock giving Adelaide the lead for the first time in the match.
The lead changed hands four times in the second term before Lloyd toe-poked home a goal to give the Bombers a four-point advantage at the main break.
Essendon looked set to cause a major upset when Angus Monfries and David Myers booted the first two goals of the third term to give the Bombers a match-high 15-point lead.
Adelaide once again dug deep but failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, before a brilliant five-minute burst from Burton gave the Crows a 10-point lead heading into the final change.
Burton kicked two – including a freak mid-air soccer goal in the square – and set up a third for Thompson.
Two final term goals to McPhee kept the Bombers in the contest, but Adelaide seemingly had all the answers with Porplyzia and Brent Reilly chiming in with majors before a goal to Essendon youngster Sam Lonergan ensured the match would go down to the wire.
Neither side managed to register another goal in a tense final 10 minutes as the Crows held on for their seventh win of the season.
ADELAIDE: 1.6, 4.7, 7.16, 9.20 (74)
ESSENDON: 3.3, 5.5, 7.6, 10.9 (69)
GOALS: ADELAIDE: Burton 2, Porplyzia 2, Maric, Johncock, Douglas, Thompson, Reilly
ESSENDON: McPhee 3, Winderlich 2, McVeigh, Lloyd, Monfries, Myers, Lonergan
BEST: ADELAIDE: Burton, Bock, Thompson, Goodwin, Rutten, Douglas, Edwards
ESSENDON: Lovett, Fletcher, Winderlich, McPhee, Houli, Reimers
INJURIES: ADELAIDE: TBC
ESSENDON: Hislop (shoulder)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Neagle replaced in the selected side by Pears.
UMPIRES: McLaren, Nicholls, Meredith
CROWD: 41,897 at the AAMI STADIUM
The Crows' poor kicking in front of goal almost cost them the game, but they managed to prevail, 9.20 (74) to 10.9 (69).
Adelaide forward Brett Burton bounced back from a disappointing performance against West Coast last weekend with 21 possessions and two goals.
Scott Thompson starred in the middle for the Crows with a game-high 33 possessions and one goal, while Nathan Bock and Ben Rutten did a superb blanketing job on Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas.
For Essendon, Adam McPhee tried hard all night and finished with 16 possessions, 12 marks and three goals.
Andrew Lovett (21 possessions) provided plenty of run from defence, while Jason Winderlich was busy with 22 disposals, 10 marks and two goals.
Essendon's willingness to win the contested football and move the football quickly inside 50 paid instant dividends as they booted the first three goals of the match within eight minutes.
Adelaide struggled to match Essendon's intensity and attack on the football, and it took until the 23rd minute for ruckman Ivan Maric to ram home Adelaide's only goal of the term after a series of six behinds.
Despite booting just one goal for the term, Adelaide trailed by only nine points at quarter-time.
The Crows got off to the perfect start in the second term with goals to Jason Porplyzia and Graham Johncock giving Adelaide the lead for the first time in the match.
The lead changed hands four times in the second term before Lloyd toe-poked home a goal to give the Bombers a four-point advantage at the main break.
Essendon looked set to cause a major upset when Angus Monfries and David Myers booted the first two goals of the third term to give the Bombers a match-high 15-point lead.
Adelaide once again dug deep but failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal, before a brilliant five-minute burst from Burton gave the Crows a 10-point lead heading into the final change.
Burton kicked two – including a freak mid-air soccer goal in the square – and set up a third for Thompson.
Two final term goals to McPhee kept the Bombers in the contest, but Adelaide seemingly had all the answers with Porplyzia and Brent Reilly chiming in with majors before a goal to Essendon youngster Sam Lonergan ensured the match would go down to the wire.
Neither side managed to register another goal in a tense final 10 minutes as the Crows held on for their seventh win of the season.
ADELAIDE: 1.6, 4.7, 7.16, 9.20 (74)
ESSENDON: 3.3, 5.5, 7.6, 10.9 (69)
GOALS: ADELAIDE: Burton 2, Porplyzia 2, Maric, Johncock, Douglas, Thompson, Reilly
ESSENDON: McPhee 3, Winderlich 2, McVeigh, Lloyd, Monfries, Myers, Lonergan
BEST: ADELAIDE: Burton, Bock, Thompson, Goodwin, Rutten, Douglas, Edwards
ESSENDON: Lovett, Fletcher, Winderlich, McPhee, Houli, Reimers
INJURIES: ADELAIDE: TBC
ESSENDON: Hislop (shoulder)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Neagle replaced in the selected side by Pears.
UMPIRES: McLaren, Nicholls, Meredith
CROWD: 41,897 at the AAMI STADIUM
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