Second-half fade-out against Eagles leaves Roosters on the brink

THE Eagles have one hand on a top-three finish after Saturday's 50-point win over North Adelaide.

Eagles midfielder Scott Lewis is put under pressure from Roosters defender Luke Ivens.

THE Eagles have one hand on a top-three finish to the season and finally look capable of doing some damage in September after Saturday's 50-point win over North Adelaide.

But as the Eagles inch closer to a double chance, the Roosters' season is threatening to sprial out of control after their third consecutive loss came on the back of an insipid second half yesterday.

Woodville-West Torrens dominated almost every position on the ground and it showed on the stats sheet.

A staggering six North Adelaide players finished the game with single-figure disposals next to their name. The Eagles had none as they gathered plenty of the footy and shared the goals.

''The most impressive thing for me today was the way they controlled themselves under serious pressure," Eagles coach Michael Godden said.

"That game was on with some serious intensity and our ball movement got better as the game went on - and it was nice to kick away and kick a score."

Matthew Goldsworthy was a star with four goals, Luke Powell and Scott Lewis were solid through the midfield and Nathan Batley beat the dangerous Nathan Gordon and still had 17 disposals.

North had few winners and apart from the terrier-like Max Thring and Jay Shannon, they lacked competitiveness.

"The last couple of weeks have been disappointing but that was bad," Roosters coach Josh Francou said.

"I was concerned at quarter time when I saw the tackle count (13-8 in Eagles' favour), we couldn't get first use, (Craig) Parry was all over us and I thought we fought back well in the second quarter.

"Then to get rolled by 50 points was disappointing."

Key forward Nick Salter was given an inch of space in the first quarter and he seized it with three goals as the Eagles shot out of the blocks.

At the other end Daniel Stewart got the early mark and goal so crucial to his confidence, but kicking with the breeze and winning it out of the middle thanks to Powell and Matthew Appleton, the Eagles led by 18 points at quarter time.

Salter's dominance saw Todd Miles replace Will Dalwood at full back while the Eagles sent Cameron Ellis-Yolmen to Stewart replacing Jake Von Bertouch.

Slowly North started to fight its way back through the brilliant work of Max Thring and Shannon.

Thring was rewarded for his efforts mid-way through the term when he won the clearance, burst away from the pack, ran to 50m and kicked a goal.

The Eagles had trouble piercing their forward 50 and when Shannon swooped on a loose ball and kicked a goal, North had its nose in front.

But the visitors made their move in the third term and as they piled on the pressure, North pannicked and turned over the footy.

Ellis-Yolmen provided some dash and Goldsworthy showed his class with two amazing goals - the second of which was from the top shelf.

Running back with the flight of the ball, he marked it on the boundary, spun around and in the same motion threw the ball on his boot and it went through.

The Eagles got the perfect start to the last term when Zac Fitzgerald kicked a goal in the first minute, then Lee Staple added another two as the Eagles made it look easy.

North gets a chance to salvage a top-three finish it plays Glenelg next weekend while the Eagles have the bye before testing their premiership credentials against Norwood and West.

EAGLES 6.3 6.4 10.10 17.12 (114)

NORTH 3.3 6.5 6.8 9.10 (64)

BEST - Eagles: Goldsworthy, Powell, Lewis, Batley, Jarrad, Ellis-Yolmen. North: Shannon, M. Thring, O'Sullivan, G. Thring.

GOALS - Eagles: Goldsworthy 4, Fitzgerald, Staple, Salter 3, Appleton 2, Lewis, Hall. North: Stewart, M. Thring, Ryswyk 2, O'Sullivan, Archer, Shannon.

REPORTS - North: Todd Miles reported for striking Kane Mitchell in the first quarter.

UMPIRES: M. Avon, T. Mediun, C. Deboy.

CROWD: 1568 at Prospect Oval.

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