TonyK
CibbuanoSaints march into prelim
September 6th 2009 09:00
ST KILDA is into a preliminary final after recording a 28-point win over Collingwood in the first qualifying final at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.
The Saints’ 12.8 (80) to 7.10 (52) victory means they will face the winner of the second-semi final between the Western Bulldogs and Brisbane in a fortnight.
Ross Lyon’s men strangled the life out of the Magpies, restricting them to just 34 entries inside 50 and keeping them to their lowest finals score in 25 years.
The loss was made worse for the Pies with star midfielder Scott Pendlebury suffering a leg injury in the first term while veteran forward Anthony Rocca limped off with what appeared to be an ankle complaint late in the match.
While the Saints will have an invaluable week off, Collingwood faces an uphill battle to reach the grand final.
The Magpies will need to defeat a red-hot Adelaide side at the MCG on Saturday night and then account for last year's grand finalists Geelong to feature in the last Saturday in September.
Saints skipper Nick Riewoldt was instrumental in the win with 19 possessions, 10 marks and five goals while Justin Koschitzke and Andrew McQualter chipped in with two majors apiece.
Sam Fisher generated plenty of run from defence with a game-high 42 possessions while Nick Dal Santo, Leigh Montagna and Lenny Hayes were influential in the middle with 30-plus disposals.
Clinton Jones did a superb blanketing job on Alan Didak, restricting the Collingwood star to just 13 touches.
For the Pies, Travis Cloke tried hard all day and finished with 19 possessions and 13 marks while Heath Shaw was busy in defence.
Dale Thomas and Rocca were Collingwood’s only multiple goal kickers with two goals each.
The Saints booted the first goal of the contest through Koschitzke after just two minutes of action but it was the only major they kicked for the quarter as they struggled to cope with Collingwood’s pressure.
The Magpies went into quarter-time with an eight-point advantage thanks to goals from John Anthony and Thomas.
When Rocca converted from directly in front early in the second term the Pies had opened up a 15-point lead.
St Kilda finally clicked into top gear and responded with five of the last six majors of the first half.
Riewoldt was particularly influential, booting three goals to help his side establish a 10-point buffer at half time.
Three unanswered goals to start the second half saw the margin blow out to 29 points and it appeared to be a matter of how far for the Saints.
But Thomas took a courageous mark running with the flight of the football and kicked his second to stop the rot before Rocca snapped truly in the dying stages of the third quarter to keep the Magpies within striking distance heading into three-quarter time with St Kilda holding a 17-point advantage.
Goals from McQualter and Riewoldt gave the Saints a commanding break early in the final stanza before Leon Davis ran into an open goal to reduce the deficit to 22 points.
Collingwood continued to press but they were unable to penetrate St Kilda’s rock-solid defence
ST KILDA: 1.2, 6.4, 9.7, 12.8 (80)
COLLINGWOOD: 2.4, 4.6, 6.8, 7.10 (52)
GOALS: St Kilda: Riewoldt 5, Koschitzke 2, McQualter 2, Schneider, Goddard, Milne
Collingwood: Thomas 2, Rocca 2, Anthony, Medhurst, Davis
BEST: St Kilda: Riewoldt, S Fisher, Hayes, Baker, Jones, Gilbert, Dal Santo, Goddard, Montagna
Collingwood: Cloke, Shaw, O'Brien, Swan, Maxwell, Thomas
INJURIES: St Kilda: Nil
Collingwood: Pendlebury (leg), Rocca (ankle)
UMPIRES: Rosebury, Chamberlain, McInerney
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
CROWD: 84,213 at MCG
The Saints’ 12.8 (80) to 7.10 (52) victory means they will face the winner of the second-semi final between the Western Bulldogs and Brisbane in a fortnight.
Ross Lyon’s men strangled the life out of the Magpies, restricting them to just 34 entries inside 50 and keeping them to their lowest finals score in 25 years.
The loss was made worse for the Pies with star midfielder Scott Pendlebury suffering a leg injury in the first term while veteran forward Anthony Rocca limped off with what appeared to be an ankle complaint late in the match.
While the Saints will have an invaluable week off, Collingwood faces an uphill battle to reach the grand final.
The Magpies will need to defeat a red-hot Adelaide side at the MCG on Saturday night and then account for last year's grand finalists Geelong to feature in the last Saturday in September.
Saints skipper Nick Riewoldt was instrumental in the win with 19 possessions, 10 marks and five goals while Justin Koschitzke and Andrew McQualter chipped in with two majors apiece.
Sam Fisher generated plenty of run from defence with a game-high 42 possessions while Nick Dal Santo, Leigh Montagna and Lenny Hayes were influential in the middle with 30-plus disposals.
Clinton Jones did a superb blanketing job on Alan Didak, restricting the Collingwood star to just 13 touches.
For the Pies, Travis Cloke tried hard all day and finished with 19 possessions and 13 marks while Heath Shaw was busy in defence.
Dale Thomas and Rocca were Collingwood’s only multiple goal kickers with two goals each.
The Saints booted the first goal of the contest through Koschitzke after just two minutes of action but it was the only major they kicked for the quarter as they struggled to cope with Collingwood’s pressure.
The Magpies went into quarter-time with an eight-point advantage thanks to goals from John Anthony and Thomas.
When Rocca converted from directly in front early in the second term the Pies had opened up a 15-point lead.
St Kilda finally clicked into top gear and responded with five of the last six majors of the first half.
Riewoldt was particularly influential, booting three goals to help his side establish a 10-point buffer at half time.
Three unanswered goals to start the second half saw the margin blow out to 29 points and it appeared to be a matter of how far for the Saints.
But Thomas took a courageous mark running with the flight of the football and kicked his second to stop the rot before Rocca snapped truly in the dying stages of the third quarter to keep the Magpies within striking distance heading into three-quarter time with St Kilda holding a 17-point advantage.
Goals from McQualter and Riewoldt gave the Saints a commanding break early in the final stanza before Leon Davis ran into an open goal to reduce the deficit to 22 points.
Collingwood continued to press but they were unable to penetrate St Kilda’s rock-solid defence
ST KILDA: 1.2, 6.4, 9.7, 12.8 (80)
COLLINGWOOD: 2.4, 4.6, 6.8, 7.10 (52)
GOALS: St Kilda: Riewoldt 5, Koschitzke 2, McQualter 2, Schneider, Goddard, Milne
Collingwood: Thomas 2, Rocca 2, Anthony, Medhurst, Davis
BEST: St Kilda: Riewoldt, S Fisher, Hayes, Baker, Jones, Gilbert, Dal Santo, Goddard, Montagna
Collingwood: Cloke, Shaw, O'Brien, Swan, Maxwell, Thomas
INJURIES: St Kilda: Nil
Collingwood: Pendlebury (leg), Rocca (ankle)
UMPIRES: Rosebury, Chamberlain, McInerney
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
CROWD: 84,213 at MCG
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