Round 6 Hostplus SANFLW League Match Wraps

By WARREN PARTLAND

South Adelaide has secured top spot on the Hostplus SANFLW League ladder after overcoming Glenelg by one point in a thrilling top-of-the table contest at Flinders University Stadium.

Lily Baxter proved the hero for the home side when she kicked truly from a set shot to regain the lead with less than two minutes remaining.

Both teams emerged with injury woes. Panthers’ acting captain Nicole Campbell was on crutches after injury forced her to leave the game, while highly talented attacking defender Tiger Sarah Goodwin damaged her ankle late in the opening quarter.

The Tigers kicked the opening goal after two minutes, and added another 11 minutes later. Tigers defender Brooke Tonon was outstanding as the visitors grabbed the early momentum.

However, the Panthers kicked the next two goals to lead by a point at half-time after a heated second quarter.

There would not be another goal registered in the hard-fought battle until Ella Boag put the Tigers in front 16 minutes into the final term.

Baxter then slotted the match-winning goal after handy leady up work from the Panthers.

Central District climbed to third on the Hostplus SANFLW ladder after a stunning come-from behind Round 6 triumph over North Adelaide at Prospect Oval.

After failing to score in the opening quarter, while conceding 4.4 to the Roosters, the Bulldogs trailed by 29 points 15 minutes into the second quarter.

Rooster Cristie Castle nailed two goals in the first quarter and midfielder Jess Edwards racked up the possessions as the home side seemingly set a course for victory.

But the response from the Bulldogs was emphatic with Barossa teenagers Jasmine Evans and Sophie Eaton having a significant influence in attack. Julie Teakle joined the party to bag three goals in the third term.

The Bulldogs’ defence also lifted, showing tremendous composure in the final quarter when the Roosters constantly went inside 50.

The Roosters failed to add to their score from seven minutes into the second quarter until Sarah Steele-Park goaled midway through the final term to ensure a tense battle for the premiership points.

The win was the fourth for the Bulldogs, while the reigning premiers have only two wins and a game plus percentage outside the top four.

Norwood inflicted more pain on injury-ravaged West Adelaide with a hard-fought six-point win at Hisense Stadium.

The Redlegs, who started the season with three successive losses by a combined nine points, are just percentage outside the top four after winning the past three. But for the hapless Bloods, they have now dropped their past four games.

The Redlegs bagged the opening two goals of the encounter to have the Bloods on the backfoot immediately.

The two sides then traded blows on the scoreboard, with the Redlegs leading by only two points at half-time.

Experienced Morgan Johnston was highly active for the visitors on a wing, gaining 22 disposals and recording six marks and four tackles, along with defender Hannah Dunn.

Talented Bloods youngster Zoe Venning again showed her liking for getting her hands dirty around the contest, amassing 32 possessions.

She finished with eight marks, three tackles and three clearances, and had tremendous support from Keeley Kustermann (27 possessions, five tackles, six clearances).

There was just one goal kicked after half-time, courtesy of Redlegs’ Kaitey Whittaker’s effort 90 seconds into the third quarter.

The Bloods scored the final four behinds of the contest as they pushed for a much-needed win.

Sturt’s roller-coaster ride this season continued at Maughan Thiem Kia Oval when the Double Blues conquered bottom-placed Woodville-West Torrens by 60 points.

The Double Blues conceded the opening goal, having registered five behinds, to Brianna Walling after seven minutes.

But it was all the Doubles Blues, who have yet to claim back-to-back wins this season, from then as they took fourth spot on the ladder.

Isobel Kuiper was busy for the visitors, compiling 24 touches and five tackles, Monique Bessen had 22 possessions, six clearances and kicked a goal and India Rasheed had 22, including three clearances, seven marks and six tackles. Rasheed also kicked a goal.

The Double Blues bagged three goals in the second term and completely extinguished any hope of an Eagles’ revival with a four-goal effort in the third.

Georgia Swan nailed the first two goals for the Double Blues and added another just seconds before the half-time siren.

The highest possession winner for the Eagles was Marlie Fiegert with 20. She also had five clearances and laid eight tackles.