Kory Beard kicks six goals to lead Sturt past South Adelaide

A SIX-GOAL haul to Kory Beard has put Sturt in the box seat for a top-three finish and left South Adelaide’s finals hopes dangling by a thread.

Sturt's Aidan Riley gets tackled by South's Brede Seccull. Picture: BRENTON EDWARDS

A SIX-GOAL haul to Kory Beard has put Sturt in the box seat for a top-three finish and left South Adelaide’s finals hopes dangling by a thread.

The Double Blues’ 30-point win at Unley yesterday put them two games clear of Norwood in second spot on the ladder with the Redlegs playing Port Adelaide on Sunday and then hosting Sturt next weekend.

Joel Cross played a lone hand for South Adelaide with an amazing 40 disposals and two goals but by contrast Sturt spread the workload and had winners all over the ground.

The only positive for the Panthers was Glenelg’s shock loss to North Adelaide means fifth spot is still up for grabs in the final round with South hosting Adelaide.

Sturt's Matthew Crocker spoils the ball. Picture: BRENTON EDWARDS

“It was a good win in the end especially after their (South) form coming in last week, we’re just trying to tick off wins at this time of year to try to get top three,” Sturt coach Martin Mattner said.

“It’s massive, you want to win your first final but it does give you a bit of an opportunity that if you do lose you get that second week.

“I felt like our start was really good today ... and late in the game we were able to rest a few guys so it was exactly what we planned going into the game.”

South Adelaide coach Garry Hocking said the most disappointing thing about the loss was the drop off from last week’s big win over Norwood.

“Particularly the second quarter they (Sturt) kicked 5.2 from 13 inside 50s so that’s easy to play against, which is not our brand and not what we were last week,” Hocking said.

“The frustration is we can’t play consistent enough, we’re not reliable enough. But we’re good enough ... and we’re still alive next week.”

The home side preyed on South Adelaide’s turnovers and there were plenty of them in the first quarter as the Double Blues kicked the first three goals.

Fraser Evans was impassable across half-back and Beard was a focal point in attack with two first-quarter goals.

Cross was holding South Adelaide together with his workrate and contested footy, and he put it on the scoreboard as well with a goal to open the second quarter.

South managed to trap the footy in their forward half for most of the second quarter but brilliant goals to Steven Slimming and Jake Sutcliffe at the other end kept the Double Blues in control.

The floodgates began to open just before half-time when James Battersby completed a classy mark and goal in the one movement and that was the game.

South Adelaide ruckman Daniel Bass competed well, Adam Gulden provided some run from defence and Matthew Rose kicked two goals but it was no match for Sturt’s evenness across the ground.

Sturt's James Battersby breaks a tackle. Picture: BRENTON EDWARDS

SCOREBOARD

STURT 4.2 9.4 12.7 15.10 (100)

SOUTH ADELAIDE 1.1 3.3 7.7 10.10 (70)

BEST - Sturt: Battersby, Beard, F. Evans, Wilson, Sutcliffe, Slimming. South Adelaide: Cross, Bass, Gulden, Rose.

GOALS - Sturt: Beard 6, Sutcliffe 3, Wilson 2, Kirkwood, Slimming, Hansen, Battersby. South Adelaide: Cross, Rose 2, Veide, Newell, Gulden, Ellison, Bass, Seccull.

UMPIRES - T. Philp, J. Broadbent, T. Burke.

At Peter Motley Oval.