Glenelg edges out West Adelaide at the Bay, despite three quarters of poor football
GLENELG should be relieved it got the two premiership points and quickly shift its focus to next week, after one quarter of decent football proved enough to keep West Adelaide winless.
THIS is one of those games Glenelg can be relieved it got the two premiership points and quickly focus on next week.
The Tigers produced one quarter of decent football, nailing five goals in the final term, to escape with a four-point victory against winless West Adelaide at the Bay on Saturday.
For three quarters they resembled nothing of the side which had climbed into the top five on the back of constructive actions, especially at home where they have claimed all four wins.
The Bloods just don’t know how to win. Again they were a spirited, desperate mob, only to drop their seventh game for the season.
“We know Westies are a very good side, they have not won a game but they can play,” Tigers coach Matthew Lokan said.
“We knew we had to be on our game and we probably weren’t for three quarters.
“To steal it in the end was a good result. The pleasing thing is we had the ability to run over them in the last quarter.
“Credit to Westies, they put us under pressure which made us turn the ball over. It was definitely a frustrating day.”
The Bloods’ endeavour and pressure has been there all season and they rattled the Tigers early, nailing the opening three goals after pouncing on opposition mistakes in attack and rushing the ball forward.
The home side coughed up a bundle of skill errors and its decision-making was an issue.
And they were punished by the Bloods, who built a 24-point lead when Errin Wasley-Black burst through the pack and snapped a terrific goal.
It wasn’t until the final quarter that the Tigers got their act together, winning contested possession and blasting the ball long into attack to challenge the Bloods defence.
Three unanswered goals in the first four minutes of the final term enabled the Tigers to lead for the first time.
“The players are absolutely devastated,” Bloods coach Mark Mickan said.
“Until we win a game people will say all sorts of things about us, but the players are trying their backsides off.”
SCOREBOARD
GLENELG 1.2 3.4 5.6 10.7 (67)
WEST ADELAIDE 3.2 5.3 7.6 9.9 (63)
BEST — Glenelg: Bradley, Snook, McGinty, T. Milera, Sawford, Barry. West: Middleton, K. Stevens, Schiller, Caire, Hill, Batley.
GOALS — Glenelg: T. Milera 3, McBean, Scott 2, I. Milera, McGinty, Nicholson. West: K. Stevens, Turner 2, Fielke, Middleton, Wasley-Black, Carter, Bates.
UMPIRES — Bowen, Sboro, Burke.
CROWD — 2216 at Gliderol Stadium, Glenelg.