More pain for Tigers as Eagles find form again

THE Eagles bounced back from last week's shock loss to Sturt to conquer Glenelg by 44 points at Brighton Rd on Saturday.

Glenelg's Chris Curran clears from defence in the match against the Eagles at Woodville.

WOODVILLE-West Torrens bounced back from last week's shock loss to Sturt to conquer Glenelg by 44 points at Brighton Rd on Saturday and inflict more pain on the Tigers.

While the Eagles kept pace with third-placed West Adelaide, the Tigers have lost their past 11 games to have a hand on the wooden spoon.

The Eagles outclassed and outworked the Tigers and looked far more at ease in the testing weather conditions to secure the vital two points and remain just percentage below the Bloods.

Adding more merit to the win was the fact the Eagles had three debutants - Matthew Appleton, Luke Dunstan and Jake von Bertouch - as well as three players with less than 10 games experience.

"To have three debutants and a number of kids - I know the Bays had a number of kids as well - it was pleasing to see them get amongst it," Eagles coach Michael Godden said.

"It was a good team response (to last week's defeat). The players kept the foot down and to kick 10.10 on a day like this is a good effort. It was not easy out there.

"There was good pressure around the ball - good communication and voice."

The signs were ominous early for the Tigers when they could manage just one goal with the wind at their backs for the first quarter while conceding three.

A desperate attack on the body and ball was the pattern for the Eagles and they unsettled the home side with a willingness to smother, spoil and commit themselves to whatever it took to deny the Tigers gain rhythm.

The opening minutes of the second term, however, had the Tigers thinking upset despite losing ruckman Lachlan Button to concussion.

They nailed two goals in four minutes to grab the lead against an Eagles outfit which had become uncertain with its ball movement.

But for Tigers fans, it was just a tease. As quickly as they had climbed back into the contest, they dropped out of the race for the win as the disciplined and more composed Eagles took flight.

Veteran Luke Powell and in-form Angus Rowntree thrived in the conditions to give the Eagles the accendency in the engine room, Phillip Raymond dominated down back and Campbell Heath gave the side some run.

The Tigers lacked the conviction and controlled ball use of their opponents, who refused to relent on the tackling and harassment. They were constantly under pressure and failed to match the Eagles in getting numbers to the contest.

Glenelg registered just three behinds for the second half and those came in the third quarter.

"We had opportunities in the first half and did not capitalise," Tigers coach Kris Massie said.

"We had passages playing the way we wanted but we could not sustain it.

"The Eagles possession count and ability to be first to the footy was a little more superior than ours."

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