Woodville-West Torrens holds off spirited Glenelg fightback to earn win at Woodville Oval

IT wasn’t pretty but Woodville-West Torrens found a way to win. They got hold of Glenelg early, then held off a spirited comeback to secure victory at Woodville Oval.

9/5/15 Eagles v Glenelg SANFL Game. Thomas Whittlesea (Eagles) and Aisea Raikiwasa (Glenelg). Picture Roger Wyman

IT wasn’t pretty but Woodville-West Torrens found a way to win.

And after a 2014 campaign when the wheels fell off in the second half of the season, Eagles coach Michael Godden is happy to take the two premiership points any way he can get them and move on.

The Eagles — considered a strong flag contender this year after losing last year’s elimination final — broke Glenelg early at Woodville Oval on Saturday, then held off a spirited comeback from an improved team to win by 23 points.

Woodville-West Torrens’ fourth consecutive win consolidates their top-three spot after what has been a tough draw to start the season.

The Eagles are 4-1 and have already beaten last year’s grand finalists Norwood and the Port Magpies, and have downed Central District at Elizabeth.

“If you could have told me we’d be 4-1 after the draw we’ve had I would have taken it,’’ premiership coach Godden said.

“We didn’t play particularly well against Glenelg but one of the things we learned from last year in the early part of the season was that when we were winning but not playing great footy we probably got frustrated and didn’t enjoy our wins.

“But what I’ve learned and told the players is that you don’t just run around a footy field every week and it’s beautiful.

“There are days when you’ve just got to grind it out and this was one of those games. To win in different ways is a part of the process and we’re happy to have been able to consolidate after our past three wins.’’

After a tardy start when Glenelg — still winless — made the early running, the Eagles did what they had to do.

The Tigers had the first four scoring shots but when playmaker Terry Milera limped of with a strained hamstring 13 minutes into the opening term the match took a sudden and dramatic turn.

The Eagles had 10 of the next 11 scoring shots to break to a 25-point advantage at quarter-time and never relinquished their lead.

The home side pushed its lead out to a game-high 40 points early in the third quarter but Glenelg — unlike the past two years — kept coming and cut the deficit to 16 points at the last change.

But when the game was in dispute, the cream rose to the top.

The Eagles had too many class players, with ball carriers Matthew Goldsworthy, James Boyd and Luke Jarrad combining for 82 disposals, Marc Borholm performing well in the ruck and former Crow Luke Thompson containing key Glenelg goalkicker Clint Alleway.

This Bays team is better than the ones which finished with the wooden spoon in the past two years and was given fine service from midfielders Matthew Snook and Sam Lonergan, while Christian Howard was excellent across half-back and teenage defender Bryce Woolard performed strongly on State squad member Lachie McGregor.

But a lack of inside 50s (Glenelg lost the key statistic 33-56) and genuine key forward targets again proved costly.

EAGLES 5.5 8.8 8.11 12.13 (85)

GLENELG 1.4 2.5 6.7 9.8 (62)

BEST — Eagles: Goldsworthy, Boyd, Thompson, Rowntree, Hayes, Jarrad, Raymond, Borholm.

Glenelg: Snook, Howard, Woolard, Lonergan, Bradley, Bailey, Scharenberg.

GOALS — Eagles: Ainger, Dunstan, McGregor, Petrenko 2, Hayes, Boyd, Borholm, Schwarz.

Glenelg: Alleway, Scharenberg 2, Bailey, Nason, Johansen, Jolly, Howard.

INJURIES — Eagles: Whittlesea (ankle). Glenelg: Milera (hamstring).

UMPIRES — C. Bowen, T. Burke, M. Scott.

CROWD — 1429 at Woodville Oval.