Sturt move to within one win of top spot after defeating Glenelg

STURT has moved to within one win of top spot but coach Seamus Maloney was far from pleased after his side found itself in a last quarter scrap against a spirited Glenelg at Unley.

SANFL: Sturt v Glenelg at Unley Oval. Glenelg 1 Samuel Lonerganl. Picture Campbell Brodie.

STURT has moved to within one win of top spot but coach Seamus Maloney was far from pleased after his side found itself in a last quarter scrap against a spirited Glenelg at Unley on Saturday.

The Double Blues kicked the first seven goals and looked set for a percentage booster before the bottom-placed Bays dramatically changed the momentum of the match.

The Tigers got on top around the contests and kicked eight of the next nine goals to reduce a 47 point margin to seven at the final change.

Maloney put it on his midfield to lift its intensity in the final term and it responded in a hard-fought 14 point win, which lifted Sturt to within one-win of Port Adelaide.

“It was game-on in the end and I’m glad we toughed it out and got the win but we’ve got plenty to work on,’’ Maloney said.

“When we’re working hard and pressuring and doing those things that we’ve been able to do reasonably consistently this year, we look OK.

“But, when we get beaten inside the contest and we don’t spread as hard as the opposition, we’re not that good.”

Sturt’s polish set it apart from the Tigers as they kicked with only four goals of the opening stanza and the first three of the second.

The Double Blues were more direct, slicker and when debutant Rory Taggert neatly finished a coast-to- oast transition it led 48-1.

Bay coach Nick Stevens swung Lewis Hender into the forward line and it proved a spark as the livewire kicked a goal and featured in another before halftime.

The Tigers then kicked five-goals-to-one in the third term — including a goal of the year contender from Hender — to close to within seven points.

Stevens was heartened by the comeback but felt the match got away.

“I think it’s one that really got away because our best footy today was really, really good,’’ he said.

“We’re improving across the board but our first quarter and half today was disappointing. We won the footy but we just didn’t use it.

“All of a sudden when we started to run and use the ball we showed that we can be a good side.”

Stevens complimented Hender who lost his mother after a long battle with cancer just over a week ago and played his first game in more than a month.

“It’s been an emotional ride for Lewy and it was an amazing effort to put his hand up and play,’’ Stevens said.

“He’s an outstanding person to have around the footy club.”