Redlegs survive a scare against West Adelaide at Parade

PREMIER Norwood has survived a massive scare from fierce rival West Adelaide to consolidate its spot at the top of the ladder.

Norwood's Andrew Kirwan dishes out a handball despite a strong tackle from West Adelaide's Jonathon Beech.

PREMIER Norwood has survived a massive scare from fierce rival West Adelaide at the Parade to consolidate its spot at the top of the ladder.

After trailing all day, the Bloods had a set shot to steal the points with four minutes left but Taite Silverlock pulled his kick from 50m as the Redlegs hung on to beat West for the fifth consecutive time and third this season.

The final siren sounded with the ball locked inside the Bloods' attacking 50.

"We had a chance to win it there at the end but unfortunately Taite missed," West coach Andrew Collins said of the three-point defeat in which only 16 goals were kicked for the game.

"But we take a fair bit out of this match. I was really pleased with the disciplines of our game and the way we played and we knew there was just going to be inches in it.

"It's disappointing to lose but Norwood had a really good team in and a bloke called (Matt) Thomas playing, who I wish I didn't see because he was very powerful and a big difference in the game.

"But we've got a few players to come in who will make us a big stronger."

Typically for a Norwood-West clash the match was tough, hard and low scoring and threatened to boil over several times.

Tensions between the clubs have been high since the "rumble in the tunnel'' game at The Parade in round five when Redlegs defender Jace Bode copped a three-match ban for striking Collins and both Collins and his Norwood counterpart Nathan Bassett were fined for indiscretions.

Norwood - which lost captain Kieran McGuinness with an arm injury in the first half - led from the start yesterday but couldn't deliver the knockout punch and nearly paid the ultimate price.

It had 63 more disposals, 39 more marks and 15 more inside-50s but frittered away opportunities in front of the sticks.

In the final term, Power ruckman Brent Renouf kicked into the man from a set shot in the goalsquare and Michael Newton - in his first league game for a year after recovering from a knee reconstruction - missed from 20m to give West a last-gasp shot at an upset victory.

Bassett was relieved his side survived the fright to remain on track for a second consecutive premiership.

The win leaves the Redlegs clear on top and entrenched in the top three, which wasn't lost on Bassett.

"It was a labour-intensive win because we didn't take advantage of our chances to score," he said.

"But the persistence of the guys, being without our captain in the second half, and to still win so much of the footy and be good enough to hang on and win, we'll take it.

"That puts us three games and percentage clear in the top three, which virtually guarantees us the double chance.

"You look at the odds and 50 per cent of the time the team that finishes top wins the grand final and 22 per cent of the time second and third wins it, so you certainly want to finish in the top three."

Norwood has dodged an injury bullet with x-rays revealing McGuinness suffered only a bruised left arm after Bassett initially feared he had broken it, which would have puts his finals hopes in jeopardy. "That's good news because losing him would have been a real blow for us,'' Bassett said.

Thomas was outstanding for the Redlegs with two goals and 24 hard-earned disposals, Brett Zorzi was strong all day, Mat Suckling racked up the disposals, finishing with a team-high 28, and teenager James Aish was lively on a wing.

Chris Schmidt was West's best player while defenders Brad Mangan, Ryan Ferguson and Joel Tippett stood tall against a wave of Norwood attacks and Jonathon Beech weaved his magic up forward to kick a game-high three goals.

NORWOOD 3.4 5.6 6.8 8.10 (58)

WEST 2.3 4.5 5.5 8.7 (55)

BEST - Norwood: Thomas, Zorzi, Suckling, Aish, Dawe, Georgiou, Dumont. West: Schmidt, Mangan, Ferguson, Beech, Tippett, Tuck.

GOALS - Norwood: Thomas, Warren 2, M. Evans, Dawe, Newton, Zorzi. West: Beech 3, Birss, Silverlock, Keough, Bonney, Schiller.

INJURIES - Norwood: McGuinness (arm). West: Anderson (calf).

UMPIRES - M. Avon, M. Schramm, R. Hundertmark.