West Adelaide keeps finals hopes alive after beating Sturt by four points at Richmond

WEST Adelaide kept its finals hopes alive and dealt Sturt’s top-three aspirations a blow after a four-point triumph at Richmond Oval on Saturday.

WEST Adelaide kept its finals hopes alive and dealt Sturt’s top-three aspirations a blow after a four-point triumph at Richmond Oval on Saturday.

The Bloods went into the game knowing a loss would have all but ended their chances of reaching September and played accordingly in the first quarter, booting four goals to one.

But they kicked just five majors after quarter-time, had only four individual goalkickers and looked unlikely to hang on when the Double Blues tied the scores 15 minutes into the final term.

Yet West dug deep to stave off Sturt’s charge and move to within one win of fifth-placed South Adelaide.

“I thought it was a four-quarter effort, which is what we wanted,” Bloods coach Mark Mickan said.

“I thought we maintained a good level of pressure for the duration and especially in the last quarter when the game was up for grabs.

“There was a lot on the line today — we understood that and wanted a performance that reflected that.”

Sturt booted the game’s opening goal inside 50 seconds through Michael Coad after a free kick was given against Adam Hartlett while the ball was in the centre square.

But the Bloods fired back immediately, quickly banging on the next four goals.

Sturt, which was stagnant going forward in the first term, moved the footy cleaner and quicker after quarter-time to fight its way back into the game.

Zane Kirkwood was everywhere for the Double Blues, racking up 16 first-half disposals.

After being switched into attack for Coad, key defender Kory Beard booted his first goal for Sturt — and just the 16th of his 81-game career — to cut the margin to three points nine minutes into the third quarter.

The Double Blues looked the team most likely to win the game at three-quarter time when they trailed by one point and had kicked six of the past eight goals.

Both teams had opportunities late but it was West which made the most of them.

Beard was lively in attack and finished with two goals but at times he kicked like a defender, butchering a couple of relatively simple set shots.

Coad, who returned to the forward line in the final term, gave Sturt its first lead since the opening minutes of the game when he kicked a behind on 17 minutes.

It lasted less a matter of moments as West took the ball straight down the other end and Jonathon Beech slotted his fourth goal.

The siren sounded 24 and a half minutes into the final term when the ball was in Sturt’s attacking 50.

Beech kept bobbing up all day and, although he was not always accurate, he was vital to the win.

Sturt coach Seamus Maloney said his side — now with a 9-5 record — was made to pay for a poor first term when its intensity and skills were down.

“We fought it out and made it a contest but it was a disappointing start,” Maloney said.

“You can’t afford to do that and expect to win.”